Indebted
by WhenLifeGivesYouLemonsandYaoi
Summary: Sabertooth and Fairytail, two of the strongest wizard guilds in the world are about to find themselves in a world of trouble after a particular job lands them in debt to a very mafia-esque family. To make matters worse Sting has been acting very weird towards Natsu. Can the guilds pay off their debt, and will Natsu finally give Sting what he wants? (Stingsu, StingxNatsu)
1. Chapter 1 - A 'Friendly' Hello

**Disclaimer**

This is a yaoi (BoyxBoy) story, so don't like, then don't read. I don't claim to own any of the characters portrayed in this work of fiction, they are under the ownership of Hiro Mashima. That doesn't necessarily apply to my own characters, however I am aware that these are again based on the work of Hiro Mashima. Please support the official Fairy Tail release.

 **...**

 **Chapter 1 – A 'Friendly' Hello**

 **Magnolia, Summer time,**

 **Year X792**

The town of Magnolia was peaceful and quiet, a stark contrast to its last few days of unrest. There had been activity around the Fairy Tail guild hall, the comings and goings of Sabertooth Mages who were bringing messages from their own guild to the native guild of Magnolia, and then to top it all off the enormous raid of both the newest local bar, and the nearby casino.

With all of the ruckus, the people of the busy town were glad of some quiet, and so were the Mages of Fairy Tail. Well, most of them.

"I'm booooored!" Natsu complained, his head slouched on the table in front of Lucy. The Celestial Mage pouted and folded her arms.

"Natsu… if you're bored then GO PICK A JOB!" she growled, not for the first time that morning. The blonde had been the object of Natsu's complaints for the first hour since the pink-haired Fire Dragon Slayer and his exceed companion had entered the guild, and now she was sick and tired of his whining.

"But there aren't any!" Natsu moaned. Lucy pouted, glancing over at the pretty full-looking request board.

"Sure there are, you've just got to be less picky" she stated, before going back to reading the book she had been failing to earlier. Natsu eyed the blonde wizard up for about three minutes, before he sat up and let out a sigh, resting his head on the back of the chair and looking up at the ceiling. Happy flew over to his partner.

"Hey Natsu" he called out, landing on the table in front of his best friend.

"What is it buddy?" Natsu asked in a mildly interested tone, hoping for at least something to kill his time with. The Exceed smiled.

"Mira just said she's put up a few more jobs fliers, so maybe there's something we can do" the feline relayed. Natsu's face brightened up hearing the news, and he jumped up from his seat. Watching from over the top of her book, Lucy silently thanked whatever deities there were that the pinkette had found something to distract himself with.

"Natsu bothering you?" a voice asked after a few moments of peace and quiet. Lucy looked around to see Gray standing, practically naked, beside the table. Lucy sighed and closed her book.

"Yeah, there's been no jobs so…" she trailed off, hoping to quickly get through this conversation and get back to her reading; the chapter had finally got interesting and the Celestial Mage was dying to know what happened next.

"Ah, he was bugging me earlier wanting to train, however I kinda skipped out on him" Gray stated, sitting down in front of Lucy. "Although he has a point, ever since that incident a week ago, we haven't had many fight-based jobs coming in. They all seem to mostly be those more 'thinking' jobs, or collecting jobs" Gray added observationally. Lucy pouted.

"Really, I never noticed" she said, before shrugging, "Then again, I don't just see the words 'FIGHT' or 'MONSTER' and immediately pick it out as my next job to do" she added, smirking a little at the Ice Mage. Gray frowned.

"Hey, I do other stuff too!" he barked in defence.

Lucy rolled her eyes and went back to reading her book. " _Suuuure_ you do" she purred with a sarcastic tone, accompanied with a slight giggle as her book began to become increasingly more interesting. Gray pouted and, realising she wasn't going to continue speaking to him, stomped off to the bar.

"Hmph, what's her problem?" he muttered as Mirajane came over to where he was now seated.

"What can I get for you, Gray?" the Take-Over Mage asked with a polite tone.

Gray shrugged. "Just get me something to drink, water'll do" he said. Mirajane nodded and went to get Gray his water. When she returned, the Ice Mage was not alone.

"Hey Mira" Natsu asked with a little bit more of an excited tone than earlier, "Can I take this job?" the Fire Mage slammed a piece of paper down on the space on the counter in front of her. Mirajane gave the flier a quick look over. "Yes, it doesn't seem like anyone else has wanted that job" she said, "It's a monster-hunting job near what used to be Clover Town" she added. Natsu nodded.

"Sound's great" he said, before turning around and looking back at Lucy. "Hey Lucy!" he shouted across the guild, gaining both the anger and the attention of the blonde simultaneously, "Me and Happy are going on a job, wanna come?" he asked her. The blonde shook her head.

"I'm good" she said. Natsu nodded, however before he could turn around to confirm his acceptance with Mirajane, a conversation floated into his audible range; it was between Wakaba and Maccao.

"They've been seen all over town, haven't you heard?" the Smoke Mage asked his age-old partner. Maccao shook his head.

"No, you'd think I would've heard about a massive group of shady guys in town. Especially after what went on last week" the Fire Mage replied.

Wakaba shrugged. "Seems like they haven't done anything… yet… although, I did see a couple of them, and I thought they might be wizards, so they could be here to cause trouble with us" Wakaba commented.

Natsu heard these words and his interest was piqued. Turning back to Mirajane after a moment, he smiled. "Er, Mira?" he asked.

"Hmmm…" the Mage-waitress asked, after depositing Gray's requested glass of water down on the counter-top.

"Can I get you to hold this job for me for a little while, there's something I gotta check out?" the Fire Mage asked. Mirajane shrugged, and gave a polite smile.

"I can, but only for a few hours, otherwise it wouldn't be fair on the client or the other guild members" she informed Natsu. The pink-haired Mage nodded in understanding.

"Okay" he said, before looking to Happy. The Exceed was puzzled as to what had his normally excitable partner suddenly asking for a job to be put on hold. "Come on Happy, I'll explain on the way" he gestured for the cat to follow him. Equally as confused as the Exceed, Gray downed the rest of his drink in one, and followed Natsu out of the guild, inquiring into what had caught the other Mage's interest. Also, observing from the wings, Lucy, having finished the _interesting_ chapter of her book, frowned at seeing the Fire Mage and Ice Mage leaving, and with her interest piqued also, she decided to trail the two.

/

After about half an hour of searching, Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Happy found no trace of the supposed 'suspicious people' that had been sighted around town, and were now just sitting on the edge of the river outside Lucy's apartment. "Man, that was a waste of time" Gray complained. Natsu nodded, resting his head on his arm as he lay down, looking up at the midday sky.

"Yeah, I thought they'd be easy for me to find, especially if they actually were wizards, their smell would give 'em away" he stated with mild annoyance. Lucy shrugged.

"It was only a rumour, maybe there was just a couple of thugs and people got a little scared?" she suggested. Natsu pouted.

"Yeah maybe…" he agreed, trailing off. After a few minutes of silence the three all decided to get up and return to the guild. As they started down the path towards the guild, Happy chirped up with something.

"Hey guys…" he muttered. The three human wizards stopped and looked to the Exceed.

"What is it Happy?" Natsu asked. The blue cat frowned.

"I'm not sure, but… do you think maybe _those_ are the people that you heard about?" he asked, pointing discretely to a pair of black-suited individuals leaning against the wall of an old building on the opposite side of the river. The pair were chatting, and didn't seem to even notice the Fairy Tailers presence.

Natsu beamed. "Good eye, Happy" he cheered. Lucy frowned.

"How do you know they're suspicious, they could just be businessmen or something?" the blonde asked sceptical of Happy's suggestion. Gray smirked at her statement.

"You've spent time around business people like that with your dad, do you think businessmen would just be hanging around an old house like that one with nothing else to do?" the Ice Mage queried. Lucy frowned, and placed a finger to her chin in thought for a moment, before sighing.

"Well no… but…" she had no counter argument. Without any debate the trio decided to discretely walk the length of the river to the next bridge along, before circling back, and hiding in a nearby alleyway to overhear the 'suspicious' duo's discussion. Unfortunately, they were too far away for anything major to be listened-in on, however Natsu used all of his enhanced Dragon Slayer hearing to gather what he could.

"They're talking about… um… some people… aaaaand… I guess some of their friends or something" the Dragon Slayer communicated, "Oh, wait… now they're saying something about the time, and… yeah, they just said, wait… they just said they'd be late for their 'reception'… at the guild?!" Natsu gave a surprised expression, with a puzzled pout on his lips. Lucy and Gray poked their heads around the corner. After a few more words the black-suited pair both ran off, before any other information could be gleaned.

Looking to each other all four members of the group wore faces of confusion. "The guild?" Gray questioned aloud, "Are you sure about that Natsu?" he looked to the pink-haired Mage for an answer. Natsu nodded confidently.

"Of course, I am" he replied. Lucy gave a pouty look as she tried to work out what could be going on. After a moment, something struck her.

"Wait… they said 'reception' right?" she asked for confirmation from the pinkette. Natsu nodded, which made Lucy frown. "Aren't we supposed to be having a reception for Sting later, to talk about that joint job we did for the Magic Council?" she voiced. Natsu looked to Gray.

The Ice Mage could already tell the Dragon Slayer had forgotten, and sighed audibly. "Yes, we are" he confirmed for Lucy "But why would that be important?" he added in question. This confirmation made the Celestial Mage give off a more worried expression.

"This is just a hunch, but… I think those guys might be here because Sting's coming" she said apprehensively. Natsu frowned, and looked to Gray.

"If that's true, then they might actually be looking for trouble" he said to Gray, his hands balled into fists as the thought of a fight popped into his head. The Ice Mage echoed Natsu's enthusiasm, however he was also apprehensive like Lucy; the guild really couldn't afford another major incident, and many people were out on jobs so if an attack on the guild occurred, they would be less likely to survive. "We gotta get to the guild" Gray stated at last. Lucy, Natsu and Happy nodded.

"I'll go on ahead, it's quicker for me to fly there, and then I can tell them what we've found" the flying blue cat stated. Natsu nodded to his partner.

"Okay, we're counting on ya little buddy" he called out as Happy began flying up and then towards the guild.

"Aye Sir!" he called back one last time, before flying over the buildings and out of sight.

Once Happy was gone, Natsu looked to Lucy and Gray. "Come on, let's get going" he gestured for them to start running. The three then began bolting towards the guild at high speed.

/

It didn't take long for the trio to reach the street that the guild was on, however they stopped just short of the large building. "Why'd you stop Natsu?" Gray asked, looking behind to the Dragon Slayer, who seemed paused in thought.

"I can… smell something" he said, sniffing at the air. The street was emptier than usual, and so it was easier to pick out particular scents. After a moment, Natsu found what he was looking for and pointed it out to the other two; spikey blond locks.

"Over there!" Natsu called out to them, before dashing forward. "Hey! Sting!" he called out, as he barrelled towards the White Dragon Slayer, come Guild Master.

Sting, who had just been carefreely browsing a nearby stall, whirled around at the sound of his name, his usual bright smile on his face. "Hiya Natsu, I was just going to the guild" the blond said as Natsu, shortly followed by Gray and Lucy, stopped in front of him. "What's up?" Sting asked after a moment, taking in the confused-yet-panicked looks of the trio.

Natsu frowned. "Err… we think there could be some trouble at the guild" the pink-haired Dragon Slayer explained. Sting furrowed his brow in question.

"Really? What makes you think that?" he asked. This time Lucy answered his question.

"There have been rumours of suspicious people around town, so we decided to follow them up. We found two people and overheard some of their conversation… when they mentioned the guild… we figured they could be here to start some trouble" the Celestial Wizard clarified. Sting nodded in understanding.

"Okay, so what do think we should do about it?" he asked; this wasn't his guild so he couldn't make the call like he would for Sabertooth.

Gray shrugged. "It was just chance we ran into you, but if these guys do mean trouble, we didn't want it to affect you so we were coming to warn people. Luckily, you're here, and not there, so if you want to, we can escort you to the guild, just to make sure it's safe" the Ice Maker Mage stated. Sting shrugged.

"I can understand your worry, being Guild Master has taught me a lot about what affects a guilds reputation, so I'm fine with letting you escort me" Sting said, "Although… you do realise that I can more than easily take care of myself" Sting added with a wry grin. Natsu patted Sting's shoulder friendlily.

"We know that, although I _did_ beat you at the Grand Magic Games" the pinkette laughed, making Sting pout in mock-upset.

"That was just for show, I could take you on if I really wanted to" he defended, making Natsu laugh even more.

"You can try if you want to later" he said, "Let's get to the guild first though" he pointed in the direction of the guild building.

Sting nodded, and the four Mages set off towards the guild.

/

At the entrance to the guild, the four stopped, Natsu holding his arm out in front of the other three to prevent them from entering. "What is it now, Natsu?" Lucy asked with a worried tone of voice.

The pinkette shrugged. "I can smell other people inside, different people" he stated in a very matter-of-fact tone. Sting frowned.

"If there really are people here to cause trouble, then we should probably deal with them. I mean… Let's just go inside. If it's me they want, then I am more than happy to let 'em try, not that any of them could beat me" Sting smirked confidently.

Natsu scented the air again. "There's a lot of them in there, are you sure?" he asked, seeking confirmation of a decision from the blond. Sting nodded in confirmation; as he was the visitor, his decision made it final.

Natsu then nodded, and the four Mages prepared to enter the guildhall.

Inside they were met with deathly silence, an eerie lack of noise that belied the quiet exterior of the building. On one side of the guild hall, with all the Fairy Tail Mages backing him, was Makarov, and on the other, seemingly in a staring contest with the Mages, were about fifty men and women, all of varying ages, but all wearing the same black suit combo that the other pair on the street was wearing. They also all wore sunglasses despite being indoors.

"What are you people doing here?!" Makarov barked, "Explain yourselves this instant!" he added, magical energy flowing around his short form in order to back up his threatening tone of voice.

The crowd of dark-suited individuals all smirked wickedly. In reply to the Guild Masters declaration, four new characters all walked out from amongst the crowd; four significantly younger individuals. The Guild Master eyed each of these four children with intrigue and wary contempt. "Master Makarov…" one of the four said; a young man with blonde hair around the age of twenty. "We are very sorry to intrude, however… it was a necessity".

"Yes, a definite necessity. And a bonus!" another of the four stated; this time a younger boy around the age of fifteen. "Master Eucliffe, I see you over there!" he called out, waving his arm over to Sting, who stood still at the entrance alongside Natsu, Gray and Lucy. Happy floated over from the group of wizards behind Makarov to join the other four.

"I'm sorry, they were already here when I arrived" the cat apologised to Natsu. The pinkette smiled at his friend.

"That's okay buddy" he said, before looking back to the four newcomers, all standing a short distance in front of the large cohort of suits. "Who are you!" Natsu called out to the four. Makarov glanced at the Fire Dragon Slayer, but made no move to silence him just yet.

A third member of the party, a young lady of eighteen years, laughed openly at the statement. "Who are we, are you really so naïve. That's so sweet!" she said in a sickly-sweet, condescending tone. Makarov looked down at the woman.

"Just answer the question" he demanded.

The women gave a scornful expression at the demanding tone of the older man. "Hmph… impudent old man, you should treat us with more respect" she scolded.

"That's enough Medea, we aren't here to pick a fight… yet" the older male stated, silencing the younger lady, before looking back to Makarov. "I apologise, we should have stated our name and business first" he gave a bow of apology, "We are the Zollzero Family, and we are here to collect on the debt this guild owes us" he stated, shooting the older man a smirk. "Arthur Zollzero at your service" he added, with another little bow.

The old man seemed taken aback at the statement. "What?!" he barked in surprise. Arthur, and his compatriots, laughed loudly.

/

"What debt?" Makarov stated in bewilderment at the sudden announcement, "Maccao, I thought we dealt with all the debts?" he looked for the Fire Mage in amongst all the other Fairy Tail Mages.

Maccao pushed his way to the front "We did, I swear we never took out any kind of loan or debt with these people" the former Fourth Guild Master stated. Makarov nodded, returning his gaze to the four individuals before him.

"If that is true, then you four must be mistaken, we have no debt with you people" the old man barked. "Now leave our guild".

Arthur shook his head, "I'm afraid that can't be done, and _you_ are the one who is mistaken. This debt is not some longstanding loan, it is the result of yours, and your allied guild's, most recent joint enterprise" he explained. Makarov furrowed his brows in thought.

"You mean the stuff my guild and Fairy Tail did last week, right?" Sting asked from his place at the entrance.

Instead of Arthur, or the woman named Medea, the third boy spoke up. He was blond like Arthur, and with sparkling emerald-green eyes. "You are correct Master Eucliffe" he said, "The job your two guilds completed at the current Magic Council's request has earned you an _outstanding_ debt of eighty million jewel for damages to privately owned businesses, property damage, destruction of goods, miscellaneous destruction, interruption of business, and…" the boy took out a flip pad, "the harm of no less than two hundred and fifty-two… no, fifty-three employees" he stated, before hiding the flip pad away again.

Makarov and Sting, along with almost every other mage in the guild hall, all jaw dropped at this figure. "That can't be right!" Sting remarked, with an almost pained look.

"I can assure you it is, isn't that right Edric?" Arthur stated nonchalantly.

The boy identified as Edric nodded. "Of course, my twin brother did the figures personally" Edric said, gesturing to the fourth and final member of the group, who coincidently looked identical to Edric, albeit with more casual attire. "Didn't you, Tom?" Edric nudged his quieter brother, who shrugged.

"Yeah. And please call me by my real name, its Thomas, not 'Tom', got that?" he said in a quiet and distant tone.

Makarov looked at the four children for a moment. "We can't pay that, it's a ridiculous sum. You'd have to win the Grand Magic Games three times over just to pay it!" he stated in an incredulous tone. Arthur frowned.

"And you're point is?" he asked sarcastically, "This isn't a matter of believability, your guilds destroyed our property, and so you must pay. Look at it this way, between you and Master Eucliffe over there, you only have to pay half, that's a much more reasonable forty million jewel each" Arthur smirked wickedly.

Makarov grew angry (literally) at the tone of voice that the eldest of the four children used. "We cannot pay that amount, and you _will_ not be able to force us!" he barked, his size now triple that of Arthur's total height. Despite the growth, the blond boy did not seem fazed.

He just smiled. "I'm open to a little arrangement, perhaps we could speak in private for a moment?" he asked, his body still relaxed, with not even the slightest hint of fear in his voice or actions. Makarov looked down at Arthur.

"Who are you to make such demands to me in my own guild hall?" the giant man demanded. Arthur shrugged.

"Who indeed?" he said, again sarcastically, before his gaze swept over the angry faces of the wizards assembled. "In fact, who are we at all. Who here knows _anything_ about us, the Zollzero family?" he voiced. The wizards all looked confused at the question, however eventually one stepped up to answer.

"I've heard of you" Gray shouted up, this drew the attention of the four. "When I was with Avatar, there were plenty of rumours going on about you and your family. You're some kind of mob, right? Doing illegal things for profit, and you have your own private guild to do more legal things with assistance from the Magic Council" Gray stated.

Edric clapped his hands. "Well done… er… Gray Fullbuster, correct?" he said. Gray pouted.

"Maybe" he replied, narrowing his gaze on the younger boy.

Makarov looked to Gray with intrigue on his wizened features. Shrinking back down to normal size, the old man approached Gray. "Is that true?" he asked. Gray nodded.

"I'm afraid it is" he confirmed.

Makarov shrugged. "Regardless, you still have no right to be here" he argued, although with a slightly less vindictive, and significantly more wary tone of voice.

"Well, there's always the other option of levelling this guild until there's been an equal amount of damage, you know" Medea chirped up. "An eye for an eye and so on" she smirked. Makarov seemed confused by the threat, however after a moment he looked to Sting.

"What do you think Sting, since this affects your guild too?" he asked.

The blond Dragon Slayer shrugged. "I guess it can't hurt to talk?" he muttered; normally he wouldn't have given in to demands such as these, however the situation seemed unavoidable, and from what he could smell radiating off of these people, they were most definitely wizards, powerful ones too.

"I'm glad you see it our way" Arthur stated. Makarov frowned.

"We can speak in my office, everyone else, you stay here. No one is to throw so much as a punch until this is resolved, understand?" the whole guild gave a muttered agreement. "Good. Now follow me" he said, directing this last part to both Arthur and Sting.

The other three children remained where they were, leaving this up to their elder brother. There was an intense feeling in the air, and neither side even moved so much as a millimetre in the five minutes that the two Guild Masters, and Zollzero representative, were gone; they just stared at each other from their separate corners.

After the five minutes had passed, Arthur, Sting and Makarov returned, the latter two with grim looks on their faces. "We've come to a decision" Arthur announced.

"This is going to be decided by a simple tournament. Going from records of the job, the three candidates who achieved the most damage from this guild, along with myself, are going to have a little duel with these four individuals to decide whether the debt should, or shouldn't, be paid" Sting declared.

"A duel?" Erza asked sceptically at the announcement.

Arthur nodded. "It's only logical, after all, if you are able to prove your worth against us, then by our own family credo, we must wipe your debt" he stated. The Requip mage nodded; if she only understood one thing it was honour, whether that be the honour of a warrior, or of a family such as theirs.

"A duel sounds fun, but who's fighting?" Natsu asked; the fire in his eyes already told everyone that he was raring to go, and based on Sting announcement, the candidate for most damage out of all of Fairy Tail would be the fiery pinkette.

Makarov cleared his throat. "Everyone needs to remain inside the guild, save the following three people; Natsu, although I think most of us figured that one out, Gray and Erza" Makarov declared. The Fairy Tailer's nodded, as Arthur re-joined his cohort.

"You all just stay here and keep watch. No trouble until after this is resolved, understand?" Arthur commanded. The suited army all nodded in understanding.

"Yes sir!" he cried out in uniform respect. All that was missing was a salute and people could have actually mistaken them for some military force, rather than a band of thugs.

With that confirmation, Arthur turned back towards Makarov and Sting, who were now standing to the side, along with Natsu, Gray and Erza. "Shall we take this outside, just to avoid unnecessary damage?" he asked, with a slightly cocky tone.

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the four; these were definitely people who he wanted to punch, and at least he was being allowed to do it.

Yet little did he know what he, and the two guilds of Fairies and Tigers, were about to get themselves mixed up in.

 **End of Chapter 1**

 **Chapter Hint; Tournament**

 **Author's Note; Hi hi, it's me WLGYLAY with a new fic for you all to enjoy. If you haven't already, please read my other fics "The Secret Trick to a Dragon Slayer's Heart" and "Fortress of Ice". This is just the first of many chapters, however I hope that with this I've managed to interest you all to continue reading and supporting this in the future. For now, I'll just sign off and say that this is gonna be one fun thing to write :)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Tournament

**Chapter 2 – Tournament**

 **Magnolia, Summer time,**

 **Year X792**

The members of Fairy Tail all stood quietly as the group of wizards left the guild; four from the Zollzero family, and four from Fairy Tail, along with Sting. They walked as one group, although with clear division; the four children of the Zollzero family walked together in one line, with Arthur as the closest to the other Mages.

"It's quite a pleasant day… for a fight" Arthur commented nonchalantly as the group walked to the open space out the back of the guildhall, where they would then fight. After enough distance was put between the guildhall to be considered 'sage' Makarov stopped the group.

"This ought to be far enough" he stated loudly. Arthur looked to the old man for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

"Fair enough, now…" he looked to the gathered group of Mages, "Shall we explain the rules?" he asked them. Erza, by far the most threatening of the four assigned combatants, nodded.

"Yes, you said we were going to fight, but neglected to say _how_ " she stated in a flat, unamused tone. Arthur shrugged.

"You have a point there" he said calmly, "So… as agreed between myself, Master Dreyar, and Master Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Sting Eucliffe, and of course yourself, Erza Scarlet, will be taking on each of us in one-on-one duels" Arthur began to explain. "The rules will be simple; defeat your opponent by _any_ means. Should you win three of the four engagements then the debt will be wiped, if not, it will remain" Arthur added.

Gray frowned at this explanation. "What about if we win two and lose two?" he asked, seeking clarification from the blond twenty-year-old.

Arthur smiled at the question. "If that situation is to occur, then the two _least_ injured combatants from each side will hold a final duel in order to decide the outcome, sound fair?" he asked calmly. Gray, Erza, and Natsu all nodded at this. With that confirmation, Arthur looked to his group. "Edric, you'll be going first. The Mages, you may select your first person to duel" he announced, before parading over to a place about twelve steps away.

Edric took up a different position some half-way between where his brothers and sister now stood, and where the Fairy Tailers, along with Sting, were standing. "I'm ready for whoever" Edric called out, a cocky smirk on his slightly rounded face. Natsu grinned, looking to the group.

"Can I-" he began to ask, before he was cut off by Makarov.

"No. Gray, you go first. You can try to gauge their strength, then we'll know what we're up against" the old man instructed, his tone leaving no room for Natsu to argue or disobey, which caused the pinkette to frown and pout miserably.

Gray glanced to his teammate for a moment, before he nodded to the guild master. "Okay, just leave it to me" he stated with a confident tone, before he began to walk out to meet Edric.

"Oh, so the Snowman's going first?" Edric taunted. Gray scowled at his opponent.

"This coming from a kid" he retorted, folding his arms as he stood a couple of paces away.

"Oh, ' _kid'_ … real original insult" Edric laughed sarcastically.

Gray sighed. "Let's just get this over with" he stated. Edric nodded in agreement.

"Fine with me" he said, "Let's begin".

/

 **Fight 1; Edric Zollzero vs. Gray Fullbuster**

Gray eyed Edric carefully. The teen appeared to be no older than fifteen years of age, however his eyes suggested something much older. _He's seen… stuff… which I guess is understandable_ Gray thought.

Edric, like his other siblings, had bright green eyes and platinum blond hair. He wore a blue-coloured three-piece suit, different from all of the other suited henchmen still remaining within the guild building. From a precursory glance, Gray could see some trace outlines of musculature on the boy, along with some slight twitches to his body. _Does he use some kind of specialist close-combat magic?_ The Ice Mage thought.

Before he could consider anything else, a voice rose up. "On the count of three, you may begin" Arthur shouted from his distant position. Edric eyed Gray up at this declaration.

"I apologise in advance for trouncing you in front of your friends" he stated, his cocky smile never leaving his face for a moment. Gray shrugged.

"I could say the same 'bout beating you in front of all your family" he replied with a frosty tone.

Edric chuckled, however he made no additional comeback as Arthur began counting. "One… two…" he said, before inhaling a deep breath "Three!".

Gray took the initiative as soon as Arthur shouted out the last number. "Ice Make; Lance" he bellowed, immediately taking his Maker Magic stance and sending five lances outwards towards Edric. The blond smiled, but made no attempt to dodge them, instead he just held up his hand.

"Four, One; Flame Rampart" he barked. Gray was taken by surprise at the boys suddenly commanding tone, however he was even more greatly surprised by the effect. As Edric gestured forwards with an outstretched arm, a wall of flames exploded upwards, melting all of the icy lances before they could even reach him.

"You're a fire wizard?!" he barked in surprise. Edric shrugged.

"Is it really that surprising. Perhaps Makarov _should_ have let the Fire Dragon Slayer fight, hmmm?" he laughed loudly, directing this comment more to the whole crowd, rather than just the Ice Mage before him. Makarov silently cursed his own decision and glanced to the pinkette at his right, however Natsu stood back, surprisingly without saying anything. He just watched from his place on the side-lines. With a frown, the older guild master looked back towards the fight.

Gray shrugged off the failure of the last attack with a smile. "It doesn't bother me if you're a fire wizard, I've felt way hotter flames just sparing with Natsu" he declared, before calling on his magic once more, an icy mist rising from his body. "Ice Make; Saucer" he barked, a spinning saw-like blade charging forward along the ground. Edric chuckled, and dodged the blade expertly.

"Nope" he laughed. Gray frowned.

"Not gonna try any more fire tricks, or was that one just a little quick for you?" he asked. Edric shrugged.

"I _could_ try fire, or…" he paused for a moment, giving another cocky grin, "I could try this; Two, Two" he declared, "Storm Lance".

Pointing his index and middle fingers together at Gray, a sudden amount of magical energy grew at Edric's finger tips, before a spell was unleashed. Gray barely had time to dodge as a stream of lightning bolts flew towards him and struck him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. "What?!" he barked once more in surprise, as Edric displayed not just one elemental magic, but two. "You're also a Lightning Wizard?" he asked.

"Perhaps" Edric shrugged, a bright grin on his face. Getting back up onto his feet, Gray frowned.

"Although… even if you do have two magics your attack didn't pack much punch" he stated, rubbing his chest a little. Edric looked like he was going to make another comment, however Natsu got in first.

"Gray, pay attention, he's tricking us" the pinkette barked.

Gray frowned and almost turned to question Natsu, however Edric butted in. "Hmph, no help from the cheerleader section please" he stated, before smirking wickedly. "Now; Two, Two" Edric called out again. Recognising the number sequence from his last attack, Gray readied to defend, however he was surprised to see that no lightning erupted forth from the blond teen. "Speed Enhancement" Edric called out in an amused tone, laughing at Gray's sudden reaction.

The Ice Mage frowned. "So you can do more with those numbers than shoot off attacks…" he mumbled. Edric nodded.

"Indeed, however… you've still to work out how my magic works; here's another clue. Three, Six; Shadow Trap" he called out, waving his arms wide. From the arc of his arm movements, hundreds of tiny black spheres floated outwards, filling the space between Gray and Edric in moments.

"Now shadow's too?" Gray mumbled with surprise. "Is there any element you _don't_ use?" Edric laughed but gave no response to the question. Seeing the effort as fruitless, Gray decided another tactic. _He said trap so I should probably avoid those balls_ he thought, _I know…_

"Ice Make; Snowball" Gray barked, summoning up a spherical orb of ice and snow. Edric looked a little confusedly to the sphere, but made no move to react. Smirking, Gray threw the ball out into the field of floating shadow-spheres. As he suspected, as soon as it made contact with an orb, it expanded and the shadows absorbed the snowball, seemingly destroying it in the process. Edric watched the action with faint amusement. "Hmm… clever" he said, "But unoriginal".

Gray frowned. "Like you'd know anything about originality" he stated, before taking his Maker Magic stance once more, "I'm a Maker Mage, I can make anything I want out of ice, like… for example… Ice Make; Cannons" he stated, summoning up two round-barrelled cannons. Smiling, Gray commanded them to fire.

"Oooh, scary" Edric mocked, as the Ice Cannons began propelling freshly made snowballs at the minefield of shadow-spheres. "Regardless of if you take the trap out, I can always make another one" he stated.

Gray shrugged. "Go on then, but if you do what I think, then you'll give your magic away" he stated, folding his arms in challenge. Edric frowned and shrugged.

"Fine then" he stated, before taking a short pause. "Three, Three" he called out, "Mist Trap".

"Ah hah!" Gray declared, making the blond boy jump. As the spell activated a faint mist began to form in the air.

"What is such a revelation, have you finally realised I'm going to win?" Edric asked with a suspicious tone as his magical fog began to set in. Gray laughed from his own position, the Ice Cannons still firing away.

"No, I've worked out what your magic is" he stated victoriously. Edric's smile faded for the first time that duel.

"Really, pray tell" he said in a slightly warier tone now.

"Every time you cast a spell you pause before shouting out two numbers. When you do then the numbers differ, however if it's a three at the start it makes a trap. Also, you can use the numbers to enhance yourself instead of attacking. Based on the numbers you've called out so far, they go from one to six, so you must be using some sort of dice to make your spells. You're a 'Dice Mage'!" he declared boldly. Edric stood in shock for a moment, before he clapped his hands, allowing the mist to dissipate and reveal himself.

"You're not as stupid as you appear, Mr. Fullbuster" Edric smirked at the Ice Mage. "However, you are _almost_ correct" he added, earning a slight frown from Gray. "I am not just a Dice Magic user, I am _the_ Gambler Wizard. I don't just use die but cards as well… for example" with a fluid movement Edric pulled out a playing card; the ten of hearts. "Card Magic; Arme de Carte" he barked, making the card glow. Gray gave a surprised look as the glow grew brighter and suddenly the card was replaced by a knife, which Edric held expertly. The blonde smirked wickedly, before he bolted forward with his speed-enhancement propelling him towards Gray, and stabbing the Ice Mage in the side with the blade. "Heh, I win" he stated.

The Fairy Tailer's all gawked in shock as Gray was stabbed by the boy, however their faces soon changed as the Ice Clone crumbled in Gray's place, and Edric was left with a look of surprise on his face. Whirling around, the blade still primed to stab, he was met by a smiling Gray, who had another Ice Cannon by his side. "You're good, but you left yourself wide open with that mist trap. Although thank you for telling me your magic, it's nice to know I was _right_ " he said, before placing his hand on the cannon. "Fire" he commanded it.

Edric didn't have time to react, before he was pelted with high-force snowballs. "Urgh!" he moaned, as he fell to the ground defeated, "Damn it".

Gray strode over to his opponent and offered him a hand of friendship. Edric accepted the assistance up, and, dusting the snow off of himself, smiled. "Guess I still have to work on my strategy" he stated, "Good use of my spell though… although I didn't even get to use my other magics yet" he grinned. Gray smiled.

"You had more?" he asked. The blond nodded.

"Of course, as I always say" he flicked a card from his sleeve and showed it to Gray, "I'm just like this card, a Jack of Hearts. Great and stealing all the lovely lady's hearts, but also Jack of All Trade's and master of none" he laughed. Gray sighed and made his way back over to his side, as Edric made his way back to his family. Despite his loss, they did not seem displeased.

"That's our win" Makarov declared, to which Arthur nodded in agreement. "So, who's up next?" he asked.

Arthur smiled and looked to the other twin. "Thomas, please get up, smarten yourself up, and then duel" he instructed calmly. Thomas, who had been watching from a seated position on the nearby grass, sighed and got up to walk over to the duel.

Without so much as a glance in his direction, Makarov selected his next combatant. "Natsu, you're up" he said boldly. The pinkette grinned.

"Finally!" he smirked, his hands balled into fists.

/

 **Fight 2; Thomas Zollzero vs. Natsu Dragneel**

Natsu walked confidently up to the other Zollzero twin, his hands balled into fists and covered in flames already. "I'm ready!" he called out to the blond boy, who barely even looked at the pinkette.

"Okay" Thomas stated, before looking away, leaving Natsu a little confused.

"Are you?" Natsu asked. Thomas did no answer the question, and Natsu grew angry. Seeing the boiling anger rise, Edric immediately called out to his brother.

"Thomas, answer Natsu" he said, his voice stern but still caring.

Thomas briefly glanced over in his brother's direction, before looking up at Natsu. Seeing the boy's eyes, Natsu suddenly got a shiver of fear. Thomas was by no means threatening on his own, in fact he appeared much more like a child than his twin. Whilst Edric wore a dark blue suit, and had his hair stylishly swept across his head, Thomas wore a black suit jacket, but then only a white t-shirt, and black shorts, with white trainers and socks to match. His hair was as light blond as Edric's, however it was haphazardly brushed, and had parts sticking up at odd ends. Perhaps most unnerving about the boy was his deep emerald eyes, that cast a very far-away stare in the Dragon Slayer's direction. "I'm ready" Thomas said in a flat tone.

Natsu did not know how to reply to the boy; he seemed so unusual, especially compared to his cocky and talkative brother. "O-okay" Natsu stated, before looking over at Arthur. The eldest sibling nodded, and began counting down.

"Ready… one, two… three!" he exclaimed. Natsu smirked at the declaration, and his flaming fists grew in intensity as he fuelled his magic into them.

"Ha, I'm gonna finish this quickly. There ain't no way I'm losing to Gray" he barked, before beginning to close the small gap between him and his opponent. Thomas did not even flinch at Natsu's declaration, and instead activated his own magic.

"Brother said I had to fight, but it's such a hassle" he complained, as a couple of yellow magically screens appeared before him, along with a console.

"Archive Magic?" Natsu commented, unperturbed by the inherently supportive spell. "Hah, that could never stop me!" he laughed, increasing the speed at which he was moving forward, priming his fist to strike the other Mage as quickly as possible.

This was when Edric finally called out. "You really think you're gonna win against Tom?" he jeered from his position in the side-lines.

Natsu scowled at the teen. "Sure, I am, if Archive's all he's got" he replied, before leaping up to strike down at the blond boy before him. Edric snorted in laughter, however made no move to call out anything else, as it was Thomas who was going to prove Natsu wrong on that account. "Archive _is_ all I've got, however…" Thomas stated, "I can win with this alone. Observe. Defence Protocol" he commanded. Natsu frowned as suddenly a barrier of yellow light engulfed Thomas' position, a perfect dome. The Fire Dragon Slayer, who had increased his speed to such a point that he could not stop, just ran straight into the barrier and bounced harmlessly off.

"What's this?!" he barked in surprise as he was sent careering backwards by the new field. Thomas barely looked up from the screens and console in front of him, however he did quickly glance to see if his spell was successful. "How'd you do that?" Natsu asked in surprise.

Thomas did not bother with a response, so Edric took it upon himself to explain. "My brother has a unique way of using Archive. He can basically store magical spells away and then release them at a later date. That means he doesn't use his own magic to cast spells, but rather uses magic he's already stored up, isn't that right, Tom?" Edric explained. Thomas frowned.

"It's Thomas" he stated, before looking at Natsu, "However he is right. You have no chance against me Dragon Slayer" he added, much to Natsu's fury.

"What do you mean no chance?" he growled, getting back up and immolating his fists once more. "I'll show you, Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" he said, fuelling his magic into his flames, before sending twin waves of flame to lash against the barrier, to no avail. "Hmph. Fine then, if fire won't work then… I'll just use my fists" he stated, before rushing forward and beginning to pummel the barrier. Thomas dispatched his console and screens to finally observe the Dragon Slayer directly. With a slight smirk on his face, he went from standing to sitting cross legged, removing his suit jacket and folding it up to use as a pillow as he began laying down on the ground. "It will take years for you to break through that, once you wear yourself out I'll have won" Thomas stated with a slight yawn, which infuriated Natsu quicker than this sudden predicament.

"Don't just lay there, _fight me_!" he howled in anger, bashing the light-shield with even more force. Thomas glanced at Natsu with amusement, but neglected to say anything further.

After a few moments of trying the Fire Dragon Slayer stopped and looked over to his guildmates. Makarov and Erza were both standing with withdrawn and panicked looks on their faces; clearly neither of them had foresaw this predicament either. Gray sat with a slightly fatigued expression on his face, he was surprised also, however he was tired too from his prior duel. Only Sting stood indifferent, like he was more focused on Natsu than on the situation. After a moment, the White Dragon realised that Natsu was looking over to them and he shot Natsu a friendly smile. "Come on Natsu, show 'em how it's done" he cheered. Natsu frowned, and turned back to Thomas, who had a screen up and was looking at it with distracted interest. "If you don't do something, doesn't that leave us at a draw?" Natsu asked the boy. Thomas shrugged.

"Even if that was true, my brother and sister will win their fight. I only need to draw with you to ensure my teams victory, and as this isn't a proper fight I don't need to go all out" Thomas stated dismissively. Edric heard these words, and tugged at Arthur's sleeve. Natsu registered the movement, but was too far away to hear what was said. After a moment, the brothers nodded to each other. "Thomas," Arthur called out, earning his brother's attention, "If you don't win this, then you'll end up with more work, having to recalculate the figures for our finances" he stated. This statement earned a scowl from the teen, before he sighed audibly.

"I suppose that means I should fight properly then, since it'll mean more work for me later" he stated, looking at Natsu, but not moving from his cross-legged sitting position. Summoning up another console Thomas pressed a few keys. "Attack Protocol" he commanded, before a screen materialised in front of Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer barely had time to register the attack, jumping up at the last second as a beam of energy shot out from the screen and scorched the earth where Natsu had been standing only a moment ago, "Ha, that's more like it" he declared, "fight me properly".

Thomas barely batted an eye at Natsu's evasive manoeuvre, as his fingers were already dancing over yet more keys on his console. "Multi Attack Protocol" he declared after a moment, as multiple screens appeared before him showing more data and information than before.

Simultaneous to the appearance of these Archive screens, multiple screens also appeared around Natsu's position. The Dragon Slayer grinned as he dodged and dived, left and right, as beams of energy were blasted forth, each missing their target, only for another screen to appear out of nowhere to take their place. "This is so boring, I thought you said you'd fight me!" Natsu howled, before engulfing his whole form in flames. "These aren't anything special, _show me some real ATTACKS!_ " he added, before leaping up and bringing a flaming barrage down upon Thomas' position. Despite the force of the attack, each fireball just rebounded harmlessly off of Thomas's force shield.

"There's no point, you won't break through my defence" Thomas called out, a little light-heartedly. "And anyways, this _is_ how I fight" Thomas added, before his fingers pressed a few more keys. "Mine Protocol" he declared.

Natsu frowned at the boy's spell casting, seeing no visible attack, however as he fell back down to the ground from his previous barrage, it was only by the timely warning of Sting that he was saved from defeat. "Natsu, watch out beneath you!" the blond declared from the side-lines. The pinkette frowned at the blond, glancing over briefly, before he realised why the Sabertooth Master had called out; right on the spot where Natsu was going to land a yellow symbol had appeared. With eyes wide in surprise, Natsu emitted flames from his feet to avoid landing on the symbol. "When did that happen?" he barked at Thomas. The Archive Mage smirked.

"That's my minefield, in the time it took you to cover the distance I've covered this whole place with hidden destruction spells" he informed the pink-haired Mage. "You'll never be able to reach me _or_ destroy my shield, so I will win this by default" Thomas added informatively.

Natsu frowned, as he managed to identify a safe place to land. "Hmph… this is boring" he complained, "however, _there's no way I'm gonna lose_ " he added, before taking a step forward.

Thomas grinned. "Wrong move" he stated, as a symbol lit up under Natsu's foot and exploded in a mini pillar of light, launching the Dragon Slayer high up into the air. Despite the attack, Natsu smiled wickedly.

"Now I can beat you!" he called down below, as he began a controlled dive downwards towards Thomas' position. The Archivist frowned for a moment, before his eyes went wide in realisation.

"No" he cursed, as his fingers rapidly began typing away on his console. Natsu laughed all the way down, as he easily avoided the minefield, his magic power being completely focused into his fists.

"Fire Dragon…" he began shouting as he increased the speed of his descent, "Iron… FIST!"

Natsu's fist slammed into Thomas' shield at full force, shattering the barrier as his fist arced to strike the blond in the stomach. "I've… Wo-" Natsu began to declare, before he was stopped by the now stoic-faced Thomas.

"Not quite" he stated flatly, before gesturing towards Natsu's fist. Then the Dragon Slayer noticed the yellow screen that had formed in front of his hand, holding back the force of the punch. "I stopped your attack with a super strong barrier" Thomas explained.

Natsu shrugged, "That won't matter because I can just do this; Fire Dragon Roar" he charged his magic to his mouth, ready to belch forth flames, however once again Sting called out, quickly followed by Gray.

"Don't Natsu!" they said within seconds of each other. Natsu frowned and shouted out to them without looking.

"Why?" he inquired impatiently.

"Look down" Thomas smiled. Natsu did, and his eyes grew wide with surprise; beneath his foot was a lit symbol. "I could've blown us both sky high, although I wouldn't have suffered any damage" Thomas explained, "However I don't need to waste any more energy. That's a draw, isn't it Arthur?" Thomas called out. The eldest blond sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I guess, Thomas, although…" he trailed off as Thomas deactivated his magic and began padding back over to this family without so much as a single word. Arthur and Edric watched their brother with tired gazes, before looking back to the guild wizards. "That draw means we only need two wins to settle this, agreed?" Arthur called out, asking Makarov. The tiny guild master shrugged.

"Fine. That means we only need to win one more" he grinned.

This was when Medea finally decided to speak up. With a hair flick, the red-haired Zollzero woman stepped forward. "Step aside boys, I'll win us that money" she said, giving Edric a slightly wicked smirk. The blond teen stuck his tongue out at his sister.

Shut it, slut" he retorted, as Medea took to the field.

Makarov looked at the women for a moment, before looking to Erza. "Erza, you can fight this one" he instructed. Sting, however, shook his head.

"No, let me. She reminds me of M'Lady and that'll motivate me to win" he stated.

Natsu sulked as he re-joined the group. "Hmph… that was not a fair fight" he whined "That kid didn't fight properly" Sting smiled at the pinkette as he re-joined the group, before patting him on the shoulder friendlily.

"Don't worry, your fight was awesome, I just hope mine is too" he said with a bright smile. Natsu gave a slightly confused look, which made Sting smiled brighter, "Watching you fight got me _fired up_ to fight good too" he grinned "Just you watch me" Natsu smiled back at Sting's kind words.

"Good luck. Win us that money" he said in a slightly more up-beat tone. The White Dragon Slayer nodded, before striding up to meet Medea.

The woman, who was slightly taller than Sting, looked down at him with a confident glare. "My incompetent brothers failed in their fights. I will not do the same" she said, "No matter how sweet you might be" a slight twitch of a smile played over her lips.

Sting frowned at her. "Huh, I can't afford to lose either" he said, "Because that'd show Sabertooth up, and as Guild Master it's my responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen" he declared.

 _Plus… I don't wanna show myself up either. Not if I want to succeed_ he thought carefully. Medea smiled at Sting's bold words. "We'll see" she stated.

Arthur watched the fight from afar, a smile on his face; this was exactly as Thomas had predicted.

 **End of Chapter 2**

 **Chapter Hint; Ulterior Motive**


	3. Chapter 3 - Ulterior Motive

**Chapter 3 – Ulterior Motive**

 **Magnolia, Summer time,**

 **Year X792**

The next two combatants entered the fight-area; Sting Eucliffe and Medea Zollzero.

Sting wore a face of seriousness, beneath a faint, confident smile. His blond hair stood up at all ends, however despite the tense air hanging between he and his opponent, he still had managed to have other things on his mind. Giving a slight glance behind his person, towards the Fairy Tail Guild Mages, a smile played over his face. "Alright, I'm ready" he called out, signalling his preparedness to the other Mage. Medea smiled, taking three steps back from the White Dragon Slayer and holding up her hand into the air.

Arthur, like he had for the previous two fights began counting down. Then the third duel would begin.

/

 **Fight 3; Medea Zollzero vs. Sting Eucliffe**

Sting eyed up the woman before him with a slightly more predatorial gaze. Medea had deep auburn hair, and piercing violet eyes. She stood with an almost ethereal elegance, which frightened Sting a little; nothing about this woman seemed real to him. "So, who exactly were you comparing me to earlier, sweetie?" she asked with a slight smirk at Sting.

"Who me?" Sting replied with a sarcastic tone, "All I said was you remind me of M'Lady, Minerva" he added after a moment.

Medea laughed a little at Sting's mention of the Territory Mage of Sabertooth. "Oh, her… interesting" she said in a faintly amused tone. Sting frowned at the woman's words, however before he could ask what exactly was 'interesting' Arthur spoke up.

"Alright you two, on the count of three the fight can begin" he called out from the side-lines. "One…" he began counting. Sting tensed at the first number, his whole body ready to fight. "Two… Three!" Arthur barked.

As soon as the last number was called Sting activated his magic. "White Drive" he called, as white patterns began forming on his skin, along with a radiant glow that enveloped his whole form. Smirking at Medea for a moment, Sting then glanced over to the Fairy Tail Mages. _Watch me_ he thought, before running forward, ready to strike the woman down in one blow.

Medea just smiled at the assault. "Hmm… you didn't even bother to ask me what my magic was first, that's so ungentlemanly" she chided Sting as she put more distance between herself and her opponent. Sting shrugged as he charged.

"What does it matter, as long as I've got Dragon Force on, I can beat anyone" he stated, "Now eat this!" he shouted, throwing a light-infused fist at Medea. The auburn-haired woman laughed, as Sting's fist struck something; something aside from her.

Looking up with surprise, Sting gave a shocked expression as his fist crashed into a blank-faced, mannequin-like golem, which crumpled under his attack and faded into magical light. "My power" Medea called out from a significant distance away.

Sting frowned at her, his mind trying to process what happened. "Okay then, _what magic do you use?_ " he asked, knowing full well that was what Medea wanted him to say.

The woman laughed a victorious laugh as Sting asked his question. "You've actually already seen it" she stated, glancing over to her family for a moment. "I am a Card Mage, and that was my _Soldat_ _de_ _carte_ , or Card Soldier" she informed him. Sting nodded in understanding.

"So, you and Edric use the same magic then?" he queried. She shrugged.

"Not quite. Whilst Edric is _only_ able to turn his cards into weapons, I can turn mine into full golems and use them to fight or defend, as you well saw" she clarified. Sting smiled at this new information.

"Well then… that makes this easy. If all you're going to do is try to put those soldiers in my way, there's no way you can win. Form what I saw they can barely stand up to me for more than one attack" Sting laughed, before beginning to run towards Medea again. "I'll just crush them all!".

Medea sighed and rolled her eyes. "Men always think the same" she commented, before she took out a deck of playing cards from her bosom, "Card Magic; Card Soldiers" she called out, drawing five cards and throwing them up into the air. Sting watched them rise, each card glowing brightly, before they flashed a bright white. As the flash subsided, there were now five more mannequin-like soldiers between the White Dragon Slayer and the Zollzero woman. Each of the soldiers wore a plain-looking armour, either in red or black, with a number engraved on each of their chest-plates, along with a symbol.

Two stood in red, with the numbers five and six respectively on their chests, along with a diamond symbol. Sting was wariest of these first, as they weren't just closest to him, but also, they each wielded a longsword and buckler that could easily do some serious damage against him if he wasn't careful. "She isn't playing around" he commented, before smiling, "Still, they _are_ just golems" he added, before deciding to use his magic a little.

"White Dragon Roar" he commanded, before spewing forth light from his mouth that struck the two sword-bearing golems. As Sting expected, they each crumpled and faded instantly. "Yep, still just as weak as the other one" he laughed, before continuing his charge, and taking out two more golems with just one punch each. These golems each wore black armour and wielded maces; they also had the numbers three and four on their chests as well as a club symbol. "That's two more down" he commented, as he continued to get nearer to Medea. The woman seemed displeased by the White Dragon's progress, however she made no move to try and stop him.

It was only when Sting defeated her final golem, another black armoured mannequin, wielding a spear with the number two and a spade symbol on its chest, that Medea finally acted. Sting was barely three paces away from her now, and yet she smiled with an almost victorious smirk. "Well done, you're not just a pretty boy" she praised the blond Dragon Slayer, "However…" she drew another card "Let's see how you do against this guy" she stated, showing another card to Sting; the Jack of Hearts.

As the card glowed, Sting gave off a laugh. "Another weak golem for me to beat?" he asked in a condescending tone, "Fine. After this I'll beat you" he smiled confidently.

"Oh really" another voice chirped up, as the card flashed, and the golem was summoned. This one was different from her other soldiers; instead of a bland-faced mannequin, Sting stood almost toe-to-toe with a handsome, smirking male with red hair that was set into a sweep of spikes.

"What? Who are you?" Sting gawked in surprise, as the man stood close to him, laughing in a mild tone.

"Aww, that's cute" he cooed, "Although I suppose that's an appropriate response I suppose. I'm the Jack of Hearts" he gave a little bow.

Sting frowned, "So you're the card?" he asked. Jack nodded.

"Yes. My fair summoner called me into existence to defeat you" he stated, glancing over to Medea, who stood with a hand on her hip and a smile that was as put-on as any of her other actions Sting had seen.

"Jack, I called you to fight, not to flirt" she stated commandingly. Jack shrugged and his hand came to rest on a short sword at his hip.

"I suppose so," he replied, "However you know I can't help it" he added with a smile, before looking back to Sting. The White Dragon Slayer was taken by surprise at the relaxed demeanour of the Jack of Hearts, however as his gaze was drawn away from the guy's face to the sword at his hip, that was nestled beside several daggers and throwing weapons, Sting regained his fighting composure.

"You almost got me off guard" he stated, more as a reprimand at himself than a statement against the Card Soldier. "However, even if you do have a personality, you're still just a golem and I'll beat you all the same" Sting commented. Jack laughed.

"We'll see…" he stated, before he drew his short blade in his right hand, and a dagger in the other. The two looked at each other for all of three seconds, before Jack made the first move. "Let's see how fast you are" he stated, slicing with sword in a vicious arc.

Sting jumped back, his White Drive enhanced speed making it an easy feet for him to dodge his opponent. Jack just smiled as he jumped up, bringing his leg across to strike at Sting, who then had to duck before trying to counter with another light-infused fist. This attack was successful, however unlike the other golems the Jack of Hearts was not beaten, although he was pushed back some. Smirking, Sting moved to give another blow, however the Jack smirked back, before rounding his other arm out, the dagger tip trained for the Dragon Slayer's belly. "Sting!" Natsu called out, which made the White Dragon Slayer jump, as he dodged the blade by kicking the Jack in the chest and forcing him out of range.

"It's okay Natsu" Sting replied, "I know what I'm doing" he added, giving the Fire Dragon Slayer a smile. _Although that was close. If anyone else had shouted I don't think I would've been able to react as quickly_ Sting thought as he and the Jack stood off against each other. "So, you're stronger than the other golems then" he commented.

The Jack gave a little bow. "I did say that, didn't I?" he asked-said with a smile. Sting preferred this opponent to his real opponent, especially since unlike her this man seemed sincere in his smile and words, however just defeating the Jack wouldn't yield his team another victory.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to try a little harder" Sting muttered to himself. The Jack noticed Sting's tense form, and readied for another exchange of blows, however the White Dragon Slayer didn't begin rushing forward, instead he took a defensive stance, all his power being directed to his throat. After a moment, the spell was ready and Sting unleashed another White Dragon Roar. The Jack gave a wide-eyed look at the attack, as it rapidly closed the distance between Sting and himself, and realising he had no time to dodge, he had to do the more unorthodox.

As the Roar attack subsided, Sting gave a momentarily cocky look, which faded as he saw the Jack was still standing. "How?" he staggered in surprise.

The Jack grinned, holding up his blade. "I just used my power" he stated, before demonstrating to Sting what he meant. The White Dragon Slayer was surprised, as the blade of the weapon immolated with crimson flames. Sting looked at the weapon for a moment.

"I see… so you used magic to counter my spell" he stated, seeking confirmation from his opponent. Jack nodded.

"Yes, now… shall we continue" he gestured with the tip of his sword pointed towards the Dragon Slayer. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, 'cept I can't really afford to waste any more time with you" he replied, giving a slight glance at Medea, who had stood watching them battle with relative quiet. "I'm gonna finish this in one attack, then go and finish her off too" Sting declared, before preparing to cast another magic spell. The Jack of Hearts was going to make another comment; however, he was cut off as light back growing in intensity in between Sting's fingers. "Holy… RAY!" Sting directed the light forwards, as streams of white arced out.

The Jack could do nothing except look on as the light streams battered him from all sides, knocking him around like a pebble caught up in a great stream, lost in the flow and unable to escape. Sting maintained the assault for a few moments, before he released his spell, the Jack of Hearts being thrown to the side by a few final strikes of light. Injured, but not beaten, the Jack slowly got to his feet, although this was no use as he looked on to see Sting rushing forward, only two steps away from Medea.

"I've got you now!" the White Dragon Slayer declared, as his fist was about to make contact with Medea. The Zollzero Mage sighed at the brash assault.

"Never leave a man to do a woman's work" she muttered, before she activated another spell.

Sting sensed the magical power rise around the woman, however he believed she could do nothing to stop his assault at this critical stage. He was wrong.

With a surprised gasp, Sting found himself striking air as the form of Medea rapidly changed in a _poof_ of magical smoke. "What the-" Sting was about to say, before he inhaled sharply. Looking down the White Dragon Slayer saw a huge coiled viper wrap its way around his leg, abdomen and chest, stopping short of his head, with its fangs bared at the Dragon Slayer's neck. Sting tried to struggle, however the serpents grip was vice, and with its fangs bared to his neck he knew he had lost. After a moment, Arthur shouted out.

"Medea is the victor of this duel" The snake gave a wicked smile at this declaration, before retreating back to the ground and then transforming back into the taller, smug human woman it had been a few moments ago, this time with platinum blond hair however.

"You could use two magic types?" Sting questioned with an angry glare. "When I asked you earlier you only claimed to use Card Magic" he added with a curled fist. Medea chuckled quietly.

"You asked me about my magic, I told you about _some_ of it. At no point, did you ask me to tell you about _all_ the magic I could use" she replied, before beginning to walk back to her family. On the way, she snapped her fingers. The Jack of Hearts, still standing to the side, bowed, before returning to his card form a floating back over to Medea's hand. "Useless" she said to the card, before replacing it back into her deck.

Sting watched her leave for a moment, before he traipsed his way back to his own group. "Hmph…" he sighed. Natsu was the first to great, him patting the blond on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, you fought great Sting" he reassured the Dragon Slayer, "She was just super strong, like the others were too" he added. Sting frowned, but then decided to give Natsu a smile; _after all, I can't let myself seem like I'm down… even though I just embarrassed myself in the worst possible way_ Sting thought. Makarov glanced to the other Guildmaster for a moment, before looking back at the Zollzero group.

Arthur smirked, before beginning to stride out into the duel field. "It looks like this will all be decided by me" he declared, looking to the guild wizards with amusement. "Me and Miss Scarlet there, I think" he added after a moment. Makarov nodded, looking to Erza. The red-head was already prepared to walk out and fight.

After all, she was a wizard of Fairy Tail. Not only that though, she was the best chance they had of winning this bet.

"I'm ready" Erza stated boldly.

Arthur nodded. "Just like I'd expect from you" he commented.

/

 **Fight 4; Arthur Zollzero vs. Erza Scarlet**

Arthur stood five paces from Erza, a bright smile on his face. He looked similar to his brothers, although with a less rounded face. Erza could see some level of musculature on his face, however he did not appear to be very physically intimidating. He was also about as tall as Natsu. "Do you want me to count down, or… should I get one of the others to do it for fairness sake?" Arthur asked Erza, his tone amicable, but with an underlying confidence that made the Requip Mage wary.

"You can do it, if you want" she stated, her voice flat and much less pleasant than the Zollzero Mage.

Arthur shrugged. "If that's what you want" he said, before looking up at the sky for a moment, "One…" he began counting.

"Two…" Erza interjected, making the blond male look at her with a faintly amused expression.

"Three!" Arthur declared. Erza made the first move, a sword appearing in her hand faster than Arthur could even blink. "I guess you don't just look fast, but you really are that fast" Arthur commented, "However… one shouldn't leap before they look" he added with a smile. Erza frowned as she charged forward with her sword raised.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, before Arthur smiled.

"I mean that attacking me like _that_ will never work" Arthur said, before snapping his fingers, "Observe" he said, from behind Erza. No, not from behind her, from where she had been standing a second ago.

"What is this… wait… I know this magic" she said with faint recognition.

Arthur grinned brightly, "Yes indeed" he replied, before glancing over to the group of guild wizards observing their fight, it seemed that Natsu and Gray were confused, although not for much longer.

"What was that?" Gray questioned aloud. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, one minute he was there… and then…" the Fire Dragon Slayer couldn't process what had happened. The pair looked to each other, before looking to Sting. "Hey Sting, you don't seem confused" Natsu observed. The blond-haired Dragon Slayer nodded.

"I actually know that magic pretty well" Sting stated, earning even more confused looks from the two other Mages. Sighing Sting looked back towards Arthur, "That's the same magic M'Lady uses. And by the looks of it, Arthur is about as skilled as she is too" Sting explained. Gray had faint recollections of Minerva from the Grand Magic Games, however he had never fought her directly and so did not know much about her power. Natsu just couldn't remember anything anyways, so knowing or even understanding this magic was well beyond his mental capacity.

Arthur heard Sting's explanation and looked over towards the Guild Master with a faint bow. "I am indeed a user of Territory," he admitted, "However to compare myself to Miss Minerva Orland would be sacrilege. She is by far the superior user when it comes to this magic's spatial manipulation techniques" Arthur stated, before returning his gaze back to Erza.

The Requip Mage stood with a faint smile on her face. "I had real difficult defeating Minerva in the Games, however… if it's true that you are not as strong as her, then I should have no problem vanquishing you" Erza stated bravely, before conjuring forth a second blade into her free hand. Arthur laughed at the bluster.

"Perhaps… however, I did not say I was inferior to Minerva, just that I was inferior in spatial manipulation" he replied, "Still… I encourage you to attack me, if you can" Arthur laughed cockily. Erza decided to test this man.

"Hmm… fine" she said, before beginning to rush forward.

"Another frontal assault. You may be Queen of the Fairies, however you are by no means a skilled tactician" Arthur commented, to which Erza smiled.

"Are you sure about that?" she questioned, before she flicked her arm, throwing the sword she had just conjured forth toward Arthur. The blond raised his eyebrows a little, but did not flinch at the attack.

"Trying to get me in a position where I can only dodge one attack, clever, however… futile" he stated, before outstretching his arm. "Red Gate" he commanded, a shimmering portal opening up before him that absorbed the sword, seemingly making it vanish. Seeing what happened to her sword, Erza stopped just short of the gate.

"What on Earthland?" she questioned aloud. Arthur smiled.

"Hm… where oh where could your sword have gone… hmm… how about to your _left_ " he stated, before gesturing with his outstretched arm to his right, Erza's left.

The Sword Mage followed his arm, before raising her sword quickly to deflect the oncoming blade. "What the-" she began as she sent her own sword spinning to the side, before it became embedded in the ground. Arthur laughed.

"Good show" he clapped his hands. "However, can you tell me exactly how I did that?" he asked Erza.

The redhead frowned for a moment as she went to recover, and indeed confirm, that the blade was the same sword she had just thrown. "You… teleported the blade, so it would strike me?" she gave an unsure answer.

Arthur nodded. "Correct. As I said, I am inferior to Minerva at spatial manipulation, however… I am by far the superior user of Territory. Whilst I can only just about control a small bubble of space, I can teleport things to and from different locations through my Gates" he explained, "Like your sword, or indeed any other thrown weapon" he added.

Erza looked at the Territory Mage with new revelation. "So a direct attack won't work… then how about this… Requip!" she commanded, activating her magic to conjure forth a new armour and blade. "Flight Armour" she said, as the leopard-like outfit formed on her person.

Arthur raised an eyebrow again, however this time he did not say anything as Erza began running around him, trying to find a blind spot which she could exploit. When she thought she had found one she leapt at high speed, her blade-tip trained at Arthur. "I've got you now" she called out. Arthur laughed.

"Hardly" he stated, as a faint shimmer in front of Erza was the only signal to the quickly opening red portal.

"No!" she exclaimed as she ran head-long into the gateway. As soon as she had passed beyond the gate, Arthur quickly closed it, opting for opening another above their battle field, that sent Erza falling from a relative height. She landed without barely a scratch, however she did appear fatigued.

"What did you… where did you send me?" she asked in between a few breaths. Arthur shrugged.

"I may have teleported you to the Space I control. It doesn't do much, but it will sap your magical energy ever so slightly every time I use it to teleport you" he stated with a dismissive expression.

"Is that how you intend to win, by weaking me over time?" she asked. Arthur laughed.

"Well that's one way to do it… however, that would be boring. I think I'd rather try a different tact" the blond man stated, before outstretching his arm in Erza's direction. "How about this, Infinity Gate" he called out, a white portal slowly forming in front of his person. Erza glanced at the shimmering white portal, before Arthur smirked. "Good luck" he commented before snapping his fingers. "Release. Infinity Beam" he stated. Erza barely had a moment to recognise the attack, before a white beam of energy shot out from the portal.

"Requip!" she commanded hastily, as her Adamantine Armor formed around her person. Using the shield of this defensive piece Erza was able to deflect the continuous stream of energy. Arthur, realising the attack failed, deactivated his spell, a slight moment of weakness passing over his features. This did not go unnoticed by Erza. "It seems that attack used up quite a bit of energy" she commented. Arthur shrugged.

"Maybe a little, but it's not like I'm anywhere near out yet" he replied. Erza laughed.

"Even so, that attack could not break through my shield, if you attempt it again, I will be ready" she stated. Arthur looked the armour up and down for a moment before laughing openly.

"You think so…" he muttered, before pointing an accusing finger towards the red-head. "Well I think I grow tired of this guild's defiance of our family. It's time to pay on your debt!" he declared.

Erza frowned. "That is why we are duelling" she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Arthur Zollzero smiled. "Yes indeed. And he who wins by any means decides the fate of your guild, so I think it's about time I make that decision" Arthur replied, his voice losing its more pleasant tones to instead become a very thinly veiled threat. Erza, recognising the danger, tensed in preparation.

Nothing, however, could have prepared her for what Arthur did next. With a wicked smirk on his relatively-handsome face, Arthur threw his arms wide. "Mass Gates, Infinity" he commanded, his magic power growing in intensity with every second. After a few moments, he unleashed the spell, and hundreds of white gates appeared around Erza's position, too many for her to dodge, and certainly too many for her to defend against.

"What…" she grew wide-eyed with surprise. Arthur, however, cackled evilly at her fearful gaze.

"Yes, that's right. Now you die!" he said to her, raising his arm up into the air and clicking his fingers. "Activate!" he commanded. Erza could do nothing except look in fear, and defeat, as an uncountable number of white energy beams descended down onto her position.

Then everything went dark. Arthur Zollzero was victorious.

/

"Erzaaaaa!" Natsu and Gray called out as their friend and guildmate was blasted with hundreds of white beams of energy. The attack was so bright they could not see her anywhere. Arthur stood firmly and after only a moment, he deactivated his spell, looking over to his family, and then over to the guild wizards. "Erza Scarlet is dead. I am the victor" he declared, earning scornful, hateful gazes from all of the wizards of Fairy Tail, along with a greatly surprised look from Sting.

Seeing their brother's victory, the Zollzero children made their way over to Arthur's side, as he paced up to Makarov to confirm receipt of the debt. "Makarov, you have been defeated and you now owe the Zollzero family eighty million jewel. Whilst you do not have to pay it now, we will be expecting it in increments over a period of time. If we go inside, we can discuss your payment scheme. You should come too Master Eucliffe" Arthur stated with a calm tone. Makarov could barely believe his eyes at what he had just seen, and inside he was a broiling mixture of anger, hatred, and sad defeat. "You just… killed Erza" he mumbled. Natsu and Gray were far more vocal.

"He just killed one of us, Gramps. Shouldn't we be punishing him?" Natsu barked from his place in between Makarov and Sting.

Makarov seemed frozen in shock for a moment. Arthur frowned. "Our agreement was for victory by any means. That means murder was allowed, surely you understood that?" the blond twenty-year-old stated. Natsu balled his hands into fists.

"Yes, I mean… had my fight gone differently, I might very well have stabbed one of you all" Edric added on as he walked up with his hands in his pockets. He shot Gray a smile as he said this.

Gray frowned. "So, you really were trying to kill us?" he asked, his fists now balled too.

Arthur nodded. "Of course, it's the fastest way to win" he stated. This line was the last straw; both Natsu and Gray leaped forwards, each primed to strike the Territory Mage. Arthur sighed, and raised his arm; the typical blue-black sphere of spatial control formed over his hand. Natsu and Gray immediately stopped where they stood as Arthur did this. "Don't pretend to threaten me, maggots" Arthur said scornfully at the pair, as Territory spheres formed around Natsu and Gray's feet, rooting them in place. Two more spheres formed around their heads too, silencing their complaints. "If you continue to pester me… then we could always see how you'd feel when I teleport your heads from your bodies, hmmm?" Arthur stated, with a wicked grin.

Medea laughed hollowly. "Oh Artie, you're so cruel" she said, patting Arthur's arm.

Arthur shrugged. "I'll be what I have to be" he replied, before releasing his magic. Gray and Natsu did not move for a long moment as Arthur's grip on them lessened.

Makarov took this opportunity to ask the question he had. "What did you do to Erza, you couldn't have vaporised her with that spell" the old man stated, a little spark of hope in his eyes. Arthur smiled.

"Ah…" Arthur laughed, "What indeed?"

As Arthur said these words, Erza, a little weak, and a little wounded, stumbled out from the guild hall. "I'm alright everyone" she said with a faint smile, "Arthur just transported me down the street. It took me a few minutes to get here" she explained. With this knowledge, all of the guild mages gave sighs of relief. Arthur grinned brightly at all of them.

"I said I'd be what I need to be. However, right this minute, I need not be a killer" he explained, earning slight chuckles from both Edric and Medea. Makarov frowned at the blond.

"You have a sick sense of humour; however, you did not harm Erza. We have lost and will pay our debt" he stated, before turning towards the guild, "Come, we can discuss this inside" he said, as Sting and Arthur walked up to follow him once more into his office.

Natsu and Gray, each a little unsettled, followed quietly behind, each of them sparing only a few glances behind them to the trio of other Zollzero children. They both knew; they really hated these people.

/

 **A little while later**

Natsu sat sulking with Happy and Lucy, Gray sat at the bar drinking. Neither had sad more than two words when they re-entered the gild. Many of the other Fairy Tail wizards had watched the fights from the many windows of the guild, and each and every one saw how Erza had gotten beaten. Despite this, no one made fun of any of the four duelling mages, not even Laxus or Gajeel; they were all more concerned with the massive debt that had fallen onto their laps.

When Makarov reappeared with Sting at his side, the whole guild went quiet. Medea had already sent all of the goon's home, bar three, and so there was only the guild wizards present in the hall at this time, alongside the Zollzero children. "It's been decided!" Makarov called out, "Could Erza, Natsu, Gray, Laxus, Gajeel, Lucy, Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen report to my office in the next five minutes" Makarov added, before turning and walking back to the aforementioned room. Sting waited at the top of the stairs, as Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Lucy all made their way up.

He looked very apologetic. "I'm very sorry" he said. Natsu, although still sulking, shook his head.

"It's fine. It was bound to happen, since those guys were so strong" he said. Sting shrugged, and nodded in agreement. The group then made their way in silence to Makarov's office.

/

Once everyone was assembled, and Medea, Edric and Thomas had been called in, the Fiary Tail Guild Master decided to explain what was to come. "We have decided" Makarov repeated his earlier announcement, "That in order for the debt to be paid, Sabertooth and Fairy Tail will work together, each taking half of the total sum. That's forty million jewel per guild" Makarov left this number hanging over the wizards for a moment, before Arthur decided to pick up.

"In order to pay this debt," the blond began, "It has been agreed that the two guilds will select specific members who caused the destruction to pay off the debt. That, of course, means all of you" Arthur explained, gesturing to the assemblage. "Now we are a fair bunch, at least we are fairer than our father, the Patriarch of our family. We have allowed for the debt to be paid in increments, so as not to deprive you wizards of your income. Basically, we'll deduct ten percent of the reward money from your jobs per wizard that goes on the job. If two go on a job then twenty percent will be taken, if five go on the half, or fifty percent, will be taken. The remainder may be split between you wizards however you see fit" Arthur added.

Sting took the opportunity to speak. "I've already got a letter ready to send to Sabertooth. They're gonna have Rogue, Yukino, Orga, Rufus and a couple others helping pay off our debt, whilst I stay here to work with Fairy Tail" Sting explained.

Makarov nodded. "Yes, and on that note I would like to explain how I want you to operate. I feel as master that the best way to pay this off will be in groups" Makarov began to explain, before Gajeel rudely intervened.

"I ain't working with nobody" he called out.

Makarov smiled. "I thought you might say that, so I chose to leave you out of a group. Instead Gray will be working with Lucy, Erza can work by herself, Laxus, you can either work with your little group, or you can work alone, and then Natsu…" Makarov smiled broader.

"You're gonna be working with me" Sting interjected. Natsu looked to Sting.

"Really?" he asked. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, I always thought it'd be cool to work with you, so I decided to take this opportunity" he said. Natsu smiled slightly at the suggestion.

"Okay, that's fine with me" he beamed. Makarov nodded.

"One final suggestion, however… If Laxus and Erza work on S-Class quests, and the rest of you keep working on the jobs you can do, then we'll have this debt paid in no time" the old Mage stated. Arthur nodded.

"I estimate it will only take a few months. We aren't in the business of adding lots of interest on to sums this large, so just pay it off steadily and you'll have no problem" Arthur added. "Oh… and I'll be leaving two of my subordinates to ensure the money is getting given to us, just so you aren't surprised. Just to remind you they are here on work, so picking on them will be an insult to our family, and no one wants that" he added with a smile.

The guild Mages all looked with scorn to the blond-haired male for a minute, before Arthur pulled out a pocket watch from within the suit he wore. Replacing it he nodded to the other members of his family. "Time to go?" Edric asked.

Arthur nodded. "Indeed. We've done what we must here… I'll just leave you with this pleasant 'good luck', dear Fairy Tail and Sabertooth" he laughed, before opening the door. Medea smiled at all of the wizards before making her way out. Her gaze rested upon Sting for a moment in passing, and the blond pouted at her. She laughed a little at his actions, but made no remarks.

Edric lead Thomas out, turning to the wizards before closing the door. "Adieu" he said, bowing before closing the door with a cocky smirk on his face.

Once they were gone Makarov allowed his face to go slack. "Well they were annoying" he muttered. Everyone nodded in agreement, before turning to go. Only Natsu remained, as Sting asked him to for a moment.

"Hey Natsu" Sting said to the pinkette, who looked to him in question.

"What is it Sting?" he queried. Sting smiled.

"I've just gotta go deliver this letter, but then how about we have a drink, I think I need one after that fight. We can plan out what our first jobs gonna be" Sting said.

Natsu shrugged. "If you wanna drink with me you can, however… I asked Mira to hold a job for me. If it's okay with you we could do that one first?" the pinkette asked. Sting smiled brightly.

"That's great, I'll be around later to find you" he said. Natsu nodded before heading towards the door.

"Okay then, see you around" he said.

Makarov watched the pair for a moment with a questioning gaze. Although Sting had only offered to work with Natsu to help pay off the debt, he seemed a lot more willing than the old Guild Master had expected. If he was a sceptical man, Makarov may have even thought Sting had an ulterior motive.

Sting, on the other hand, just smiled brightly; there was only one thing on his mind.

 _He got to work with Natsu_.

 **End of Chapter 3**

 **Chapter Hint; First Job**


	4. Chapter 4 - First Job

**Chapter 4 – First Job**

 **Magnolia, Summer time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe POV**

I walked through the streets of Magnolia with an additional spring in my step. After posting my letter to Sabertooth the previous day, explaining the situation, and then meeting up with Natsu that evening, the pair of us had decided that we would go on the job together the following morning. This morning.

Looking to my watch as I approached the guild I couldn't help but smile. "I've got ten minutes before the time I agreed to meet Natsu" I said aloud to no one in particular. It was weird being alone, since usually I had either the grumpy Shadow Dragon Slayer, or my Exceed companion beside me, however with me being at Fairy Tail I was left completely to my own devices. With a bright smile, I entered the guild hall to a seen of slight apprehension, but otherwise normal activity. Mages shuffled around, either drinking, going out for, or coming back from jobs.

I eagerly walked up to the counter at the other end of the large building and took a seat. Mirajane Strauss came straight over to me. Since yesterday the Take-Over Mage had been a constant help, always checking up on me, making sure I wasn't lost, or just being generally pleasant. "Hi Mirajane" I greeted her kindly. The white-haired woman smiled back at me.

"Good morning Sting" she said back, "What can I do for you?"

I pouted. "Erm… I was wondering if I could get something to drink. I'm supposed to be meeting Natsu to go on our job but… I was a little early I guess" I stated. That was the truth, or at least most of it was. In reality I not only knew I was early, but had planned it so that I could get to the guild early and snoop around a bit. Although I had admired Natsu since my childhood, I found that I knew very little about him and I hoped to gather some intel before we set out so that I could talk more casually with him. Mirajane smiled at my little explanation.

"We have quite a number of drinks here" she explained, before taking out a book and flicking to a certain page, "Just pick out anything you'd like and I'll go get it for you" she stated, handing me the menu. I looked through its contents quickly; although there was indeed a number of different drinks to choose from, I decided to avoid a lot of them on the basis that drinking alcohol before noon would seem unsightly as a guild master. "Um… I think I'll just stick with coffee" I said politely, before handing Mirajane back the menu. She nodded.

"Okay, it'll be a couple of minutes" she replied, before rushing off to fulfil my order. I smiled and turned in my seat, my eyes scanning over the people in the guildhall. _There's not many people here. I know that Makarov said that only a few people would be going on jobs to pay for the debt but… I think almost everyone is out working_ I analysed, before pouting slightly. _Damn, that means there isn't very many people to ask about Natsu…_ I added after a moment.

As I sat waiting, a pair of other wizards came over to greet me from the shadows of one of the corridors. I scowled slightly at them as they approached. "Hello you two" I greeted in false-amicability.

The pair were the lackeys of the Zollzero family, and were quite a common sight, each popping their heads into conversations that any of the assigned debt-payers were having only to remind them of their role. One was an elderly man in his fifties, called Kenji, the other was his grandson, the much younger teenager, Haruki. I looked to each of them individually.

Kenji was a stoic faced man, with longer, grey-black hair that was tied into a pony tail. His slate coloured eyes were as hardened as his aged features, and gave him a permanent serious expression. Unlike the other goons who had shown up uninvited at the guild yesterday, Kenji wore a traditional-style black kimono with four symbols on its back, along with a sheath on either side of his waist in which were held two katana blades. He also held a further two katana in straps on his back to make a total of four weapons.

In sharp contrast to the elder man, Haruki was a permanently grinning teen of around fifteen years. He had his hair swept into a stylish appearance, and dyed to a blonder colouration, although there were still suggestions of dark-black at his roots. This meticulously kept appearance fitted perfectly with the expensive black, two-piece suit he wore, with a white shirt underneath. Although at an initial glance he appeared harmless, the slight L-shaped bulges around his chest suggested concealed guns, and to top it all off it was impossible to tell where he was looking because of the sunglasses that he constantly wore.

Overall the two were quite intimidating. "Good morning Master Eucliffe" Haruki greeted me, his tone pleasant, but with a note of superiority in it.

"Good morning" I reiterated quickly, "Do you have business with me?"

The fake-blond smiled and turned his head to his grandfather. "I don't know, do we have business with him pops?" he asked in a cocky tone. Kenji sighed and smacked his grandson on the shoulder.

"Yes, we do, so stop playing the fool, Haruki" he stated in a flat and unamused tone. Although I had only had a few protracted conversations with the pair, this was a very characteristic interaction, with Haruki acting cocky and Kenji smacking him silent. After reprimanding the child, the older male turned to me. "I would just like to ask exactly how much the job which you and Mister Dragneel are going on pays. I asked Miss Strauss earlier, however she was unable to answer as it appears that the flyer was taken by your partner" Kenji explained. I furrowed my brows in thought for a moment.

"Um… I think it's for about seventy thousand jewel, so… that's thirty-five thousand to both each of me and Natsu normally, however if you take your twenty percent first…" I paused to try to work out the number.

Haruki laughed. "It's fourteen thousand to us, and then twenty-eight-thousand to each of you two wizards" the teen interjected, his tone a mixture of amusement and condescension. I nodded, trying to ignore the boy's tone of voice.

"Yes, that's right" I stated, "However, since I only need two-thousand to pay for my accommodation, you can add the rest of my pay to your amount" I added with a smile. Kenji nodded in understanding.

"Very good, Master Eucliffe, we'll leave you in peace then. Thank you in advance for your _donation_ " the older man stated, before grabbing his grandson. "Come along and leave the master in peace, Haruki… and take those glasses off indoors" he added, as he dragged the teen away by the collar of his shirt.

Haruki gave a pout of protest. "Hey, watch the suit!" he complained, "And I gotta keep these on to keep my _cool_ image" he added. I smirked at the boy for a moment, before turning back to the counter. _Stupid uppity kid…_

After the two left, Mirajane appeared a few moments later. "Sorry for the wait" she apologised. I just smiled and shook my head at the waitress.

"It's fine, whilst you were gone I watched a clown show" I replied. Mirajane, knowing full well who I was referring too, chuckled, before moving off to another customer. When she left, I realised that I had forgotten something; _Damn, I was so distracted by those two idiots that forgot to ask her anything about Natsu…_

My slight curse seemed to go unnoticed by the waitress.

/

 **A short while later**

After bumping into Natsu, who had overslept and was running ten minutes late, I decided to head out into the town whilst he got himself some breakfast. I had been fine with the lateness of the pinkette, as it gave me a little extra time to find out stuff about him, however now, as I stood waiting at the agreed meeting place whilst Natsu was late _again_ , I couldn't help but feel a little slighted. _Mostly because it feels like I'm being stood up for a date_ a little voice in my head said unwantedly.

I tried to strangle the thought, as I wanted to try to avoid any ideas like 'date' or 'romance' until from popping up until a more appropriate time. _Or so you think_ the voice persisted. _Shut up!_

Natsu arrived after a few more minutes, smiling apologetically. "I… I'm sorry…" he puffed and panted; clearly he had run at full speed to get here. I shrugged.

"It's alright… it's not like I could leave without you" I smiled, trying once again to push down the unwanted thoughts that floated around my brain. "So, what kept you?" I asked, as Natsu and I began walking out of Magnolia. Most people would have used the trains, however as it was only Natsu and me going on this job, we could afford to walk, even if it took us a few extra hours. _Hours that I get to spend with Natsu_ the voice whispered from its corner of my mind. _Shut up, I'm not gonna be some creepy stalker thinking stuff like that_ I thought back to quell these ideas.

Natsu smiled brightly at me. "I figured it's been a while since I last saw you fight, and that yesterday was the first time I had even _seen_ you fight since our battle with Tartaros so… well, I kinda stayed up training last night and didn't go to bed until later" Natsu explained. I nodded, a slight flicker of happiness passing over my face that Natsu was thinking about me, even if it was only as a fighter.

"I thought about training yesterday too, but after being beaten by that woman. And then having to go through all that stuff with Makarov later in the day… well… I sorta fell asleep before I _could_ even do any training" I laughed, rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment.

Natsu laughed too. "I saw you running around a lot, but I didn't understand what was going on. Being a Master seems like a lot of hard work" the pinkette chuckled.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm just glad that Rogue and Yukino help me out from time to time. Oh, and now that M'Lady is back she helps out a little too…" I said, "However if I had been by myself there woulda been _no_ way we could've paid off our side of the debt" I stated, my voice full of honesty.

Natsu furrowed his brows. "Why?" he asked. Again, I shrugged.

"I hate to admit it, but I'm _really_ bad with money. Like, _seriously_ bad. Rogue always deals with our apartment's rent, and Yukino always helps with the guild's finances. When we got a pool, Rogue had to double check the costs of everything before I signed on 'em, just to make sure we weren't getting ripped off…" I trailed off as the number of examples of my inability flooded through my memory. Natsu saw my face and smirked, however he then pouted a little.

"So, you live with Rogue?" he questioned.

"Um… yeah…" I admitted. _Is he jealous or something? No… it must just be my imagination…_

"It sounds cool to live with another person like that… I mean I live with Happy, and sleep with him sometimes too… but I've never lived with other people, it's always just been me and Happy… oh, and Lucy too when we're at her apartment" Natsu explained. I smiled and nodded; _Of course, that makes sense_ I thought.

"It's cool, sometimes… although Rogue is kind of annoying sometimes too" I stated a little embarrassedly, trying to move the conversation along. Something about what Natsu said bugged me. "So, you spend a lot of time around Lucy's place then?" I questioned the pinkette after a minute. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, we have fun going over, me and Happy. Plus, Lucy's always fun to be around… even when she's screeching or bossy" he smiled cheerily. I frowned at him. _Is he… are they a couple?_ I thought a little despondently, as Natsu's happy face made me reconsider my thoughts about the Mage. Natsu caught my expression and gave a confused look. "Is something wrong Sting?" he asked me, stopping in the middle of the path we were treading.

I shook my head. "No, it must be nice to spend time with your girlfriend like that" I stated with a false-smile.

Natsu's confused expression dropped instantly at my statement. "We're not a couple!" he barked. I was surprised by the suddenness of the other Dragon Slayer's reaction. "Why does everyone think that…" he trailed off seemingly genuinely confused by the statement. _Is he serious? But he just…_ my mind froze for a moment, before I shook my head to dislodge my surprise. _Natsu's not with Lucy, that still means I have a chance_ I thought to perk myself back up.

"Well… um… I'm sorry?" I said, trying to get the pink-haired Mage to cheer up a little.

Natsu stopped for a moment, before a great smiled broke out all over his cute, rounded face. "It's okay, I guess it's just something that everybody thinks" the pinkette chuckled. "I mean I like Lucy, but I _couldn't_ think of her like that. She's my friend" he added with a smile.

I nodded in understanding. "It's alright, sometimes people say stuff like that about me and Rogue, although I always correct them. We're just friends too" I said with a sympathetic smile.

Natsu laughed. "So, it's not just me then" he beamed, before proceeding to continue down the path. We walked quietly for a few minutes, however Natsu, not being able to stand the silence, started chatting again. I smiled politely as he talked about a few of the exploits he had made in the more recent past, and I, in turn, answered a few of the questions he had about Sabertooth, or my role as Guildmaster.

Despite Natsu's statement that he didn't think of Lucy like _that_ because of their friendship, a little niggling thought wormed its way into my mind, inhabiting the same corner as all the other unwanted thoughts I had right at that moment. It was from Natsu's declaration, or more accurately from the _way_ he said it; _Does he really not think of her romantically because they're friends, or because he really_ can't _think of_ her _like that?_

/

After a couple of hours of walking, Natsu and I stopped for a while in a passing town. "How about eating there?" I said to Natsu, pointing to a little café in the town. Natsu smiled and shrugged.

"I don't really care, so long as they have food" he grinned. I sighed and made my way over to the outlined shop. Natsu followed behind, his stomach making even more gurgling noises than it had for the past half-hour as we desperately searched for somewhere to eat.

When we entered the café, Natsu and I sat down. A kind-faced waitress came over to give us menus, before scooting off to deal with another customer. Glancing over the top of the menu, I looked at Natsu. "Found anything you want?" I asked him. Since our walk had begun, Natsu had talked for a while, however after burning through every conversational topic he could think of, he eventually settled into a peaceful quiet, which gave me time to think things over. This thinking time, only some twenty minutes, since eventually Natsu's stomach began its noisy protest, allowed me come to a particular decision; I would ask Natsu out after one of our jobs. Perhaps not this one, or even maybe the next one, but once I felt that we had spent enough time together to be comfortable, then I would _definitely_ ask.

"Everything here sounds tasty" the Fire Dragon Slayer commented with a bright smile, "Nice job finding this place, Sting" he added. I almost blushed at his praise.

"It's fine, so what do you want?" I reiterated my question. "Oh… and this might be a stupid question buuut…" I smiled sheepishly, "How much money do you have on you?" I asked. Natsu smirked at me.

"I have about a thousand jewel, what about you?" he replied in question.

I shrugged. "About eight hundred" I answered. Natsu nodded.

"Okay, so that's enough for… what?" he glanced down the list on the menu again. I looked too.

"Urm… about two meals and a drink each?" I estimated. Natsu nodded in agreement.

"So, if we have that… we'll have no money left until after the job" I stated, a slight grimace on my face. Despite my ineptitude with money, I still understood that it was bad to go around on jobs without _any_ cash on you. Natsu just smiled brightly at me.

"It's fine, I go on jobs without money all the time" he chuckled, "So long as I eat I'm alright, and since we'll have finished the job by tomorrow, I think we should be okay" he added. I nodded in agreement; I couldn't feel uneasy when my idol/crush was so near to me and smiling _that_ brightly.

"Alright, let's order then" I stated, before flagging down a waitress. As she took our orders and menus I looked to Natsu. The pinkette was busy looking out of the window of the quaint little café, a slightly far-away glimmer to his eyes. I couldn't help the cooing thoughts of _cute_ from floating through my consciousness, however I did try to supress my urge to poke him just to see what he'd do.

Natsu seemed to notice my look, and rubbed the back of his apologetically. "Sorry" he said, "I guess I just drifted off for a minute there" he laughed. I smiled back at him.

"It's fine. I guess you're just worried about your guild, right?" I queried. Natsu shrugged.

"Nah, Fairy Tail will be fine. It's not like we _haven't_ face huge problems before, although… I don't know, this is a new kinda problem" he stated. I nodded in understanding.

"Sabertooth's never had an issue like this either" I said sympathetically. Natsu nodded and looked solemn for a moment, before he began smiling again.

"There is one good thing that's come outta this, though" he stated, as our food was placed in front of us by some other waitresses.

I knitted my brows in confusion for a moment. "What good thing?" I asked the Fire Dragon Slayer, who grinned at me, whilst eyeing up his lunch.

"I got to hang out with you. I mean, we've worked together and fought together… and against each other… before, but now I'm actually getting to hang out with you normally… I can see how normal you actually are, not like the asshole you were at the Games a couple years ago" Natsu stated, whilst beginning to wolf down his meal. I smiled at the sentiment to his words, before I realised what he said.

"Hey!" I barked, with a mouthful of food only inches from my mouth, "I'm normal… I might've been an asshole, but I've always been normal" I added in a reasonable tone, earning a wicked smirk from the pinkette. Natsu then laughed before proceeding to consume the remainder of his food.

I finished my food too, and then once we each drank our drinks we paid and left for our job.

/

We arrived at the intended town a few hours later, meeting up with the client as soon as we could. Dusk-time orange light slowly overtook the sky as we wandered up to the specific house, it had taken longer than expected to reach this place. The client in question was an elderly gentleman and the town's elder. After explaining the exact specifics of our job, he pointed out where we needed to go, and with confident smiles on our faces, Natsu and I set out into the nearby forest.

The job itself was fairly straight-forward; Me and Natsu had to camp out in the forest and defeat some kind of wolf-like monster that had been terrorizing nearby crops and farm animals. Although I had been hoping that the job would at least involve a comfortable bed, there was something appealing to spending the night alone with Natsu under the stars, so long as the wolf-thing didn't interrupt us too much.

Once Natsu and I had found the clearing that the elder had spoken of, we set up camp, each of us rolling out our sleeping bags. Natsu offered to go and get some wood to light for a fire, whilst I kept watch. "I'm back" Natsu called to me as he emerged from the shadows of some trees. I smiled at him.

"Cool, you need any help?" I asked with a pleasant smile. The Fire Dragon Slayer shook his head, before quickly building up a stack of sticks, twigs and leaves.

"I'm fine" he said, "Now… watch this" he grinned, before making a flame dance in his palm. I watched the flickering crimson for a moment, before it fell gently out of Natsu's hand and onto the firewood, setting it alight instantly.

"That's pretty useful" I stated. Natsu shrugged.

"It's only a little bit of Fire Magic" he replied, "I bet yours is useful too" he added with a wink.

I smiled. "It's better at destroying stuff than doing anything helpful like _that_ " I stated, waving my arm in a broad gesture to the fire Natsu had just made. "Although it can be useful when looking for things in dark places" I added with a slightly dismissive shrug.

Natsu grinned. "Guess we'll have no problem finding that monster then" he stated. I laughed.

"Yeah…" I agreed, before trailing the conversation off.

Natsu seemed to grow quiet too, as he began looking into the crimson flames his mind wandered off. I followed suit. Looking into the flames I felt a great sense of calm fall over my person, like I was looking into Natsu's soul. _Is it just because this was started with his magic…?_ I thought for a moment. Thinking of the pinkette brought up all the unwanted thoughts I had managed to bury since the café, and I ended up staring at the Dragon Slayer beside me, rather than his flames. _He's so cute when he's lost in thought like that…_ I smiled internally, or at least I hoped so.

"Hey Sting" Natsu whispered to me after about ten minutes. I jumped at the sudden sound. _Did he notice?_

"Umm… yeah?" I whispered back, silently hoping that he was only wanting to chat or something.

"Do you smell that? Or hear it?" Natsu whispered. The pinkette took his eyes of the flames at this point, his gaze being directed solely at me.

I frowned and gave a sniff at the air around me; there was plenty of scents around here, leaves, trees, flowers, and… the scent of dog? _The wolf monster…_ I realised after a moment. Meeting Nastu's gaze with understanding eyes, I nodded to the pinkette. " _Yeah… it's somewhere nearby_ " I whispered very quietly, my nose trying to focus on the odour of our target.

"I think it's over… _there_ " Natsu stated, pointing towards a particular patch of jet-black shadow. I scented the air. _Yeah, I think so too_ I thought. Nodding at Natsu again, we both tensed.

"I'll flush it out" I said to him. He nodded in understanding, before allowing me to proceed onwards into the darkness. Once I reached the point that I thought was approximately between Natsu and the wolf monster, I charged up my magic. "White Dragon's Claw" I commanded, white light engulfing each of my fists, lighting up the darkness. As the light grew in intensity, I looked around. Then I gulped.

"Oh… fuck!" I cursed, as I came eye-to-eye with a seven-foot-tall, dark-furred canine creature, with large, blade-like claws that glistened a pearly white in the light of my magic. The creature growled lowly, and arched its back; from the looks of its hind legs I could see it was about to leap. "No, you don't!" I said loudly, before sending my light-engulfed fists careening right into the wolf-like face. The creature let out a roar of anger as my attack landed, leaving a white stigma where the blow landed. "Got you!" I called out, before jumping back and putting some distance between myself and the creature.

"Alright Natsu, I hit it with my claw" I said, waving my other hand, which was still glowing, as a signal for the Fire Dragon Slayer to emerge from hiding and help me. After a moment, Natsu arrived with a happy smile on his face.

"Woah, that was quick" he commented, "I didn't even get to do _anything_ ".

I shrugged. "I didn't expect to come face-to-face with the thing the second I used my magic, but anyway… how do you wanna do this?" I asked. Natsu shrugged.

"Don't know, I've not had to _move_ a monster before; normally I just beat 'em" he replied with a thoughtful pout.

I folded my arms, eyeing up the paralysed creature before us. "The old man said this was some form of rare, magically-enhanced wolf from the mountains, and we shouldn't kill it unless absolutely necessary…" I frowned, "I guess we should just keep it tied down and the move it out of the forest… if it's really from the mountains, then it probably got lost, or separated from its pack and they're looking for it" I added. Natsu looked to me and nodded in understanding.

"Alright" he said, before moving to the rear end of the creature, "You get one end, and I'll get the other, then we can make our way back to camp and sleep" he smiled. I nodded in understanding.

"Okay, just let me put a couple more stigma on it. If it really is magically enhanced, then it could wear off before we finish moving it… and that wouldn't end well" I stated, before engulfing my hand once more in white light. After touching a few more locations, each time leaving another restriction insignia on the wolf, I nodded to Natsu. "Alright, let's move it" I grinned.

/

"Whew… that thing was _heavy_ " Natsu heaved, flumping down onto his sleeping bag, and looking up at me with a grin.

I nodded in agreement, moving to sit cross-legged on my own sleeping space near to the dwindling fire. "I've not had to move something like that before… but yeah, it was heavy" I agreed. Natsu smiled and looked to the barely smouldering pile of sticks and ash next to me.

"I guess… I'll go get more firewood. It's too late now to go back to the town now, and I'm tired" he stated, motioning to get up. I shook my head, and stood up, stretching.

"Let me get it, you had to carry the heavy end of that monster before, so I'm not as tired" I stated. Natsu shrugged and went back to lying down, this time on his back. With his gaze fixed upon the stars above, he smiled calmly.

I turned and wander into the forest, using a light on my hand to help guide my way. My enhanced Dragon Slayer eyes could easily pick out some dry sticks, and branches. Whilst I was collecting firewood, I allowed my mind to wander again. _Natsu was so calm when that wolf showed up… if he hadn't been paying attention, I would've been too lost in thought to notice and then… well…_ maybe _it could've attacked me_ I thought to myself with a little disdain. _I've gotta get it together. I came to Fairy Tail to try to spend_ some _time with Natsu, however that doesn't give me the right to be a drain on them. We didn't plan for this debt, however as it was partly my responsibility as Guild Master I should help to fix this… then maybe, no… not maybe. Then I will_ definitely _tell Natsu how I feel. The jobs should come first_ I said internally.

With a definitive nod to myself I turned to return to camp. Despite my initial resolve, as soon as I found the pinkette, the fluttery feeling that I had been experience for the last few days returned. Natsu had fallen asleep in the short while I was gone, and seeing the happy smile on his face, I decided not to rouse him. "I'm not _that_ cold" I reasoned, placing the firewood into a neat pile, before curling up into my own sleeping bag.

I soon fell asleep myself, watching the Fire Dragon Slayer murmur peacefully to himself as he dreamed about whatever he did. As my eyes began to feel heavy, the last dwindling thoughts in my mind were clear; _I will tell Natsu when our job is done_.

/

I awoke the next day to the sing-song of birds. Annoyingly it was early in the morning, however that didn't bother me as I turned to look at the still-sleeping Natsu. With a little bit of resolve I decided not to get lost in my own creepy thoughts, and instead set about tidying up the make-shift camp. After an hour or so, Natsu eventually dragged himself to consciousness, and once he had tidied up his own things, we returned to the village. The elder had requested a scrap of fur from the wolf creature in order to prove our claim that we had done the requested job, and once we handed that over we left the old man's house with our reward jewel to hand.

"This'll definitely help towards that debt" Natsu commented as we walked through town.

"Yeah" I agreed, "It'll be a good _start_ " I added. Natsu chuckled.

"Don't be so down, if everyone does their bit we'll have it paid off in no time" he stated, patting me on the shoulder, "Now come on, let's get something to eat, I'm starving" he laughed.

I smiled at his upbeat laughter. "Okay, but then we gotta get going. It's a long way back to the guild, and we should probably get there earlier than we arrived here" I stated with a slightly stern tone. Natsu nodded.

"That's fine. When I get back I'm gonna order a large amount of food and eat until I'm stuffed" he said, his eyes glimmering at the prospect.

I shrugged. "Just make sure you give your ten percent to those two collectors first, they gave me a hard-enough time before we left" I stated. Natsu nodded, and with that we entered the nicest looking restaurant and order our own breakfasts.

/

We returned to Magnolia in a few hours. The walk back was pleasant, perhaps a little more so than the walk to the town. After my own resolution, the previous night, I felt a little more able to talk to Natsu without actively trying to pry or question like I had before. This meant we could joke about and laugh like I had always wanted to do with him since I was a kid.

Entering the guildhall, Natsu went off with his share of the reward money to pay for some late lunch, whilst I sought out the pair from the Zollzero Family's guild.

"Here's your money" I stated, as I approached the pair, who were seated in a pretty empty corner of the guild. Kenji and Haruki both eyed me, each with a different expression.

"Oh, so you have returned. That was fast" Haruki smirked, before pushing his sunglasses up his nose so they better covered his eyes.

Kenji held out his hand, and I placed the jewel into it, like a child being told to give his parent something. _Man, this is demeaning_ I thought with slight annoyance. Kenji quickly glanced over the sum, counting it up. "That's the seven thousand from each of you two… and then another twenty-five thousand from you I presume?" the older man stated with a slight frown, his tone seeking confirmation. I nodded.

"Yes. I took two thousand from my reward so I can pay for my accommodation, and then another thousand for other expenses I may need to pay on my next job" I explained. Kenji nodded.

"This is a very generous donation, Master Eucliffe" he replied, before producing a wooden box from the folds of his robes. Opening it up I could immediately sense a magical presence. Kenji then placed the money inside and then closed the box again, before speaking aloud. "As you are the first to pay, as the others have not arrived back yet, the debt, from the Fairy Tail side, now stands at thirty-nine million, nine-hundred and sixty-one thousand jewel" he stated in a flat tone. I nodded in thanks for the summary before turning to go.

"That's fine. We've only just started after all" I stated, before smirking at the pair one last time. "And I'm more than motivated to get this over and done with" I added.

Haruki laughed openly. "Well I suppose you're optimistic I suppose" he stated, "Oh… and I gotta say I like the way you fight, even if you lost against Lady Medea" he added with a cocky tone. I stopped for a moment, before walking on, allowing the comment to slide.

"That's alright. Even if I didn't beat her then, I probably could now. Heck, I could event take you on, if that's what you wanted" I said in passing. This earned further laughter from the teen, however as I was soon out of earshot I ceased to care what reply he gave to that.

Re-joining Natsu, I ordered some food from Mirajane, and then sat about enjoying my new partners company for a while. We even discussed what type of job we could take next, although neither of us felt very much like going on another one today.

After a time, I left for my own place where I was staying, a local hotel near to the guild. There I decided to do some training, more to distract myself from any thoughts, than to actually work out, although either way this left me quickly showering and then dragging myself to my bed and falling into a peaceful slumber. I needed all the rest I could, especially since tomorrow was going to have to be another day for work.

And for paying off our debt.

 **End of Chapter 4**

 **Chapter Hint; Pick Your Fights Carefully**


	5. Chapter 5 - Pick Your Fights Carefully

**Chapter 5 – Pick Your Fights Carefully**

 **Sabertooth, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Rogue sat in Sting's chair, in the semi-cluttered room that was the White Dragon Slayer's office. A letter was opened on the absent Guild Master's desk, it had arrived that morning, along with two very bland-looking individuals, each with the symbol of the Zollzero family's private guild, Zero Star, emblazoned on their suits. With a sigh, the Shadow Dragon Slayer looked to those assembled before him. Besides Minerva, Yukino, Rufus and Orga there were some thirteen additional Mages from the guild, all with blank, confused, or sombre expressions on their faces. "So, that's what's going on" Rogue stated, his voice heavy as he finished relaying the information within the letter to the other wizards. Since receiving the letter that morning, he had been left to prepare alone, with only Yukino and Minerva to help him. After some major decisions, the Shadow Dragon Slayer had to gather those listed in the letter and explain to them the situation; in particular, the large debt that had just been dropped at their door.

"It seems this will be quite the issue" Rufus stated, holding his hat down over his eyes as his downcast gaze was mirrored by many others present; in all his or anyone else's time at Sabertooth, they had never once incurred such a debt; although that may have been due to their previous Master's tendency towards maltreatment of others, including any potential debtors.

"This will indeed be a problem" Minerva Orland confirmed, "In my… er… time in the underworld, I came across mention of the Zollzero family only twice. Both times it didn't end well for those who crossed them" she added with a sour expression. Rogue nodded in agreement with her assessment.

"Yes. Also, Sting will be staying at Fairy Tail during this time. He thinks it will help to build relations between our guilds, and it means he can make executive decisions on behalf of our guild quickly at their end" Rogue added, "However that means that the rest of us our going to have to work towards paying off that forty-million jewel ourselves".

Yukino pouted in thought. "Although it _is_ a rather large sum… It's possible… but only if we work hard, and take the more high-paid jobs" the Celestial Mage reasoned, to which Rogue smiled.

"That was exactly what I thought, so that is why I'm going to begin a process of checking each and every job that we receive. I'll distribute them to you all based on what I know of your individual talents and abilities, and ensure you receive the high paid rewards" Rogue declared. This earned a general murmur of approval from the group. "Additionally, I will be taking some of the jobs too, so I propose that at any one time at least myself, Yukino or Minerva be present to help oversee this process. If that is acceptable?" the Shadow Dragon Slayer looked to the aforementioned two female wizards, who each stood to the front of the assembled group. The pair nodded.

"That's fine with me" Minerva smirked. Yukino looked less confident, but nodded also.

"Okay, I'll do my best" she stated. Rogue smiled, preparing himself for one last declaration.

"Finally… We can't fall behind on our payments, _or_ let Sting down" he barked loudly, so that everyone assembled could hear him, "Fairy Tail got the head start, but it will be Sabertooth that will be first to pay off our side of the debt. Then Sting can return to us proud and happy" Rogue announced; this made the group all smile and nod.

"Yeah, Sabertooth's the greatest guild in Fiore. There isn't anything that we can't do" a few Mages said from the back.

"Hmmm… it's a large sum, but it's nothing compared to some of the foes we've faced" Rufus added on.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Orga bellowed from the centre of the crowd. Rogue looked to all of the assembled with a bright smile on his face. _What a guild you've built Sting_ he thought with a hint of pride.

With that declaration, Yukino and Minerva cleared the room, leaving Rogue alone. Once all the wizards left, the Shadow Dragon Slayer allowed himself to frown; despite his rousing speech he still had some fears. _I just hope you know what you're doing Sting_ he thought fearfully, _we planned to let you stay there for a little while… so that you could do what you wanted and pursue your little crush, but things have changed and we can't let you stay away too long. A guild needs its Master…_

Rogue could do nothing but silently hope that the White Dragon Slayer remembered that he was the Guild Master of Sabertooth, and because of that couldn't do anything too _risky_ while he was over at Fairy Tail. Or do anything stupid, like focus more on his own little crush, than on the debt that had been laid at their door.

/

 **Magnolia, Summer Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I entered the guild with a smile. It had been about six days, almost a week, since the arrival of the weird family of children, and despite the announcement of the debt I couldn't help but feel happy. My first job with Sting had went well, and after arriving back at the guild, and handing over our section of the money we earned, me and Sting had spent the rest of the day laughing and messing around together. Initially I was afraid the blond would be all serious because of his position as Master, however it was the exact opposite. Instead Sting was always smiling, cracking jokes, and even asking me about some of the rumours or other stuff he'd heard either around the guild or out in town. Overall, it was quite fun to be around him.

Sitting at the bar, it wasn't long before I felt a tap at my shoulder. "Hey, Natsu" Happy said with a smile, "What'cha up to?"

I smirked. "I've just got here. Where were you yesterday?" I replied with a question.

Happy shrugged, "I went on a job with Wendy and Carla because Mira said you had to do something with Sting" the flying feline replied. "It was so boooooring, though… even if it was with Carla" Happy added.

I laughed. "If that's the case, why don't you come with me and Sting this time then?" I asked my partner.

Happy looked at me with a funny look. "Are you sure Sting'll be okay with this?" the cat asked with a concerned tone. I frowned.

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be, he's got a buddy of his own back at his guild so… I'm sure he'd understand. Plus, I don't see why he _wouldn't_ let you come… we're only working together because of this debt thing" I replied hesitantly, my mind trying to process any possibility of Sting disallowing the exceed to accompany us.

I didn't have to think on it for long, as after a few minutes, I saw the spikey blond hair of the White Dragon Slayer himself poke its way out of a door, the visiting Guild Master returning from a meeting with Gramps. "Hey, Natsu" Sting greeted me with a bright grin as he picked me out at the bar and made his way over. I smiled back at him politely.

"Good morning Sting" I replied.

Sting took the seat next to me without asking. "When did you get here?" he asked, as Mirajane came over with a glass of water for the blond. "Thank you, Mirajane" Sting said to the waitress, who kindly smiled in reply. I waited until Sting was drinking to respond to his question and ask some of my own.

"I just arrived a couple of minutes ago" I said in response to his query, "I was planning on getting some breakfast, before checking out the jobs. I figured you'd already be here, since you seem to get here before me every day anyways" I added in a general tone. Sting nodded at my analysis, before smirking in a more knowing way.

"Oh, if that's the case then you might not need to check the board" the White Dragon Slayer smiled. I furrowed my brows for a moment in confusion.

"You already picked out a job?" I asked him. Again, Sting nodded.

"Yeah. Don't worry though, it's not some weird one. Makarov asked if I wanted it, said you'd like it" Sting explained, before passing me over a flier, "It pays really well, and it's just a simple Monster Hunt so it's not like we'll have to do anything too difficult. Plus, it's really close, so we shouldn't have to stay overnight, assuming we do this quickly" Sting further added.

My eyes glanced over the contents of the paper, before nodding. "Sure, sounds easy" I said, "I've just got one question…" I trailed off, looking up at the White Dragon Slayer with questioning eyes. Sting looked back at me intently. "Can Happy come?" I asked him, gesturing up to the exceed floating above our heads. Sting looked up for a moment, before looking back at me.

"Sure, I don't see why not" he smiled. I smiled back, before looking up to my partner.

"See, little buddy, I told you he'd be fine with it" I called up to the blue fur ball.

Happy grinned back down and gave me a thumbs-up, before flying off to find Carla and tell her that he'd be working with us this time. Sting watched Happy leave for a moment, before looking back to me. "So… what are you getting to eat?" he asked me, with a slightly hungry look.

I shrugged and called Mirajane over.

/

A couple of hours later, Happy and I got ready to leave with Sting on our job. Before we left, however, there was something that caught our attention. "But that's way more than ten percent!" Gray shouted angrily from a shaded corner of the guild.

Hearing the commotion, and the raised voice of my rival, I couldn't help but observe. Gray, who I knew had just returned from a job, was standing in front of the pair of Zollzero lackeys, his hands balled into fists and his face a picture of rage. Beside him stood Erza, with an equally annoyed scowl that sent bad memories immediately to the forefront of my mind. "I'm afraid as you completed the job together, even if you only originally took it, Mr Fullbuster, then it must be done" Haruki Himura, the younger of the two, stated.

"Haruki is correct on this point. The agreement is that your guild will pay its debt by sacrificing ten percent of each job that those selected participate on _per participant_ " Kenji added. I listened confusedly to the conversation, looking to Happy.

"What's going on?" a voice behind me asked. I turned to see Sting and Lucy coming up to me.

"Oh… er…" I floundered to explain, "I don't know. I was just leaving to meet up with you, Sting, when I heard Gray start arguing" I said in lieu of an explanation.

Sting frowned and came to stand beside me, Lucy taking the place on the opposite side. "Seems like Gray and Erza are having an argument with those two over their pay" Lucy observed. I shrugged.

Listening back into the rapidly escalating discussion, Gray was busy angrily cursing the two. "It was _my_ job. Erza just happened to help me capture a couple of the bandits whilst she was passing through on the way back from her _own job_!" the Ice Mage barked. Kenji stood up from his seat and stood beside Haruki.

"Be that as it may, the matter still stands that you both participated with regards to this request, and therefore are both responsible for two ten percent cuts, making a total of _twenty percent_ due from your job reward" the old man stated. Erza narrowed her eyes.

"I am already giving you the ten percent from my job reward, and Gray is giving you his due also, so I don't see why he need suffer an additional penalty when all I did was assist in the capture of seven of the… large number of bandits that Gray had set out to defeat" the red head explained calmly, although even from their safe distance away Lucy and I could hear the faint traces of concealed anger in her words.

"Hmph… you don't seem to understand. The agreement was-" Haruki began to speak.

"WE KNOW THE AGREEMENT!" Gray shouted loudly, cutting the faux-blond teen off mid-sentence. "People in the guild help each other out in passing all the time, so I don't see why this should cause a problem" Gray added after a couple of inhaled breaths.

Haruki smirked. "The issue is not in the action, but in those that took it" the teen said, "If it was anyone else there would be no issue, however as it was Miss Scarlet whom assisted you, this levy must be enforced" the teen explained. Gray seemed to almost want to punch the boy, however he refrained. _Not that I don't understand why_ I thought with a little smirk of my own, before I turned to the blond White Dragon Slayer beside me.

"Sting, you're a Guild Master, shouldn't you sort this?" I asked him. Sting gulped and rubbed the back of his head.

"I guess I could… er… mediate… but, I'm not really Master of these wizards so… it's not my call" he stated unsurely. I smiled at his hesitancy.

"Really, sure ya aren't too scared?" I laughed, much to Sting's annoyance. The blond shrugged at me.

"Course I'm not scared. Anyways, I'm sure they can handle it" he replied, gesturing over to Erza and Gray. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah" I said in an upbeat tone, before Lucy interrupted.

"It looks like they've already come to an agreement" she observed, before pinching the bridge of her nose, "And why am I not surprised it comes to this?" I frowned and looked to the quarrelling group.

"Okay then, if you really want to prove that Erza Scarlet's assistance was not needed, how about you and I have a little test of strength" Haruki declared, a wicked smile on his face, as he lowered his sunglasses and looked at Gray over the top of the lenses. I didn't even need to see the smile on Gray's face to know he was already going to agree; I would have agreed to that offer too.

/

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Natsu, Sting, and many others in the guild watched as Gray and Haruki stared each other off. "You're on" Gray stated, openly agreeing to the blond teen's suggestion. "What's the challenge?" he added with a tone of confidence. Haruki smiled wickedly at this question.

"Simple, we'll have a magic shoot off. The first one to back down loses, or the first one to incapacitate the other wins. Whichever comes first" the teen proposed. Gray nodded in agreement.

"Sound's fair, should we take this outside?" he asked. Haruki shook his head.

"No need, in here will be fine. Any damage to objects _other_ than the opponent Mage will amount in negative points, alright?" he asked. Again, Gray nodded.

"Fine" he said. Kenji looked to his grandson for a moment, before looking back at Gray.

"I'll act as witness, and will explain this to the family if need be" he declared, "Master Eucliffe…" he looked up towards where Sting stood with Natsu and Lucy, "Could you act as referee, alongside me?" he asked. Sting shrugged.

"That'll make it fair I suppose" he replied, before picking his way over to the quarrelling group. Once Sting was stood beside the older sword-wielding man, Haruki spoke up once more. Both he, and Gray, had move a short distance away from where they had been, into a clearer area, around which many wizards had gathered to observe. "Gray Fullbuster, for the sake of formality, do you accept my challenge?" he said, extending his arm out for Gray to shake his hand. Gray looked at the outstretched appendage for a moment, before shaking Haruki's hand.

"Yes, I do" he said in a dulled tone.

Nodding at the handshake, Kenji raised his voice. "You have agreed, now for the rules. You will each stand five paces from each other, then, on the count of three, you may begin your shoot-out. First to be incapacitated, or to surrender loses. Any physical damage as a result of this duel may not be blamed on the Zollzero family, however spells designed to kill, and any use of magic which results in death, will have wider reaching consequences" the old man explained, his gaze particularly focusing on Haruki as he said this. Satisfied with the rules, Haruki and Gray nodded, before they began arranged themselves the required distance away. Content that they were in position, Kenji smiled. "Alright, you may begin in one…" he began counting, "Two… Three!"

As soon as the last number was called, both Gray and Haruki were in motion. The Ice Mage immediately formed his Maker stance, magic flowing around his person, whilst Haruki reached into his black suit-jacket, producing two black twin revolvers. Although Gray was fast, the blond teen was by far faster, the barrels of his guns trained onto the Ice Mage before he could even begin to cast a spell. "You should've thought about this before you agreed" Haruki mused, "Because there ain't _no one_ who's a faster draw than me!"

With those words the teen unloaded a full barrage of magical bullets from each of his guns. Gray looked in shock as the attack rained painful shots down upon him, however he refused to give in. "Ice Make; Skin" he called out, his magic activating as the first few attacks struck his person. Haruki raised an eyebrow; he was surprised that Gray was even able to move. As Gray's spell took effect, magical ice began to creep over his body, forming a thin crust over the top of his clothes and bare skin. "Ha, your bullets don't do anything against my defence" he crowed as the remainder of Haruki's attack failed to strike at Gray. The Guns Mage smirked.

"An interesting defence, however… I'm by no means done, I've still got some ammo left" he said, before aiming his guns once more at Gray. Before he could unload another attack, however Gray reacted.

"I'm not gonna let you take another shot. Ice Make; Bullets" Gray shouted, before he swiped his arm in the air in front of him, a line of icy spheres forming which then flung themselves at Haruki. The teen gave a momentary look of surprise, before he realised that the attack was not directly aimed at him; then he guns were both tore from his hands by the force of the Ice Mage's projectiles. "Ha, what you gonna do now without your guns?" Gray asked cockily, as Haruki's weapons were now outside of his reach. The teen gave a momentarily worried expression; however, this was soon replaced by a grin.

"Oh, what ever will I do… I'm ever so useless without my guns" he whined in a sarcastic, mock-defeated tone. Gray was almost going to bite back at the tone of the teens statement, before his eyes suddenly shot wide as pain erupted forth from his thigh.

"What the-?" he gasped in surprise, before looking down to see nothing there except a faint magical glow that soon faded into nothingness. "What did you do?" he questioned the teen, who was now standing with one finger pointed at the Ice Mage.

"Ha ha, what indeed?" he replied with a giggle. Gray gritted his teeth at the spike of pain, however it passed as quickly as it had arrived. The slight tingly feeling that the spell left in its wake was vaguely familiar.

"I think I've seen that Magic before…" the Ice Mage muttered. Haruki raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I'd imagine you have" he smirked, "About three years ago now… or should that be ten?" he added with a wry smile. Gray furrowed his brows for a moment, before realisation dawned.

"Ah, yeah. Hades used it when we fought him!" he declared loudly. This earned a few murmurs of recognition from the other wizards present who also had gone up against the dark wizard. "It's… Bullet Magic, right?" he asked after a moment. Haruki grinned and nodded, clapping his hands; the action was a little sarcastic.

"Yes, well done" he stated, "This is indeed Bullet Magic. Guns Magic is only a hobby of mine, this is my real power" he declared, before pointing his fingers into L-shapes at Gray, "And now that you've _finally_ realised that, I think I'm gonna finish this" Haruki added with a final tone.

Gray frowned. "That spell hurts, but it won't be enough to beat me" he replied confidently.

Haruki raised an eyebrow. "Sure?" he asked, "Or is that just based on your _limited_ experience?" he questioned.

Gray gaped at the comment from the _younger_ teen. "Limited experience? I'm OLDER than you!" the dark-haired man barked. Haruki laughed.

"So?" he responded cockily, "Experience isn't just based on age… for example, I bet you've not seen Bullet Magic like _this_ " he declared, before firing off a sphere of energy from each of his hands. Gray prepared to block the attacks, however before his Ice Magic could even activate, the spheres exploded, sending hundreds of tiny spheres raining down onto the Ice Mage, each delivering a tiny localised pain, like a thousand needles all poking at him from every direction. Haruki continued grinning, whilst he folded his arms, "That was my Scatter Shot. I don't just have plain old attacks, but also _loads_ of different types of ammo. You'd best just give up now, because trust me your Ice Magic is not gonna hold out against my power" the teen suggested. Gray rallied at that statement.

Still gritting his teeth a little, the raven-haired Mage prepared for a spell. "You little… I'm not gonna let the guild down!" Gray declared, before an icy mist began rising from his person, "Ice Make; Ca-" he didn't even get to use his next attack, as suddenly Gray fell to the ground unconscious. Haruki smiled as he lowered his outstretched arm, before blowing his fingers in triumph like he would the barrel of a gun.

"Knock Out Shot" he said to Gray's unconscious form, before looking to Kenji and Sting.

"If Gray Fullbuster does not wake up in the next few seconds, you will be victorious, Haruki" the old man stated. Sting pouted; although he had wanted Gray to win, he couldn't argue with the statement. Those were the rules after all.

After a few seconds, when Gray did not awaken, Haruki was declared the victor, and it was left to Erza to haul the Ice Mage off and hand in the additional amount of money that had started this whole argument off anyways.

With the issue dealt with, Sting re-joined Natsu and Lucy, and Happy soon floated over. "Well… that was anticlimactic" the exceed stated. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, that kid _was_ strong though. I could smell his magic as soon as he fired that first shot" the Fire Dragon Slayer added on. Sting shrugged.

"Admittedly, Gray probably shouldn't have picked on them" the blond stated, "Although, I did think perhaps knocking him out might've been a bit excessive" he added with a shrug. Natsu smiled.

"So, you were on our side" he chuckled. Sting frowned.

"What side did you think I'd take?" he replied. Lucy watched the two for a moment, before sighing.

"Weren't you two gonna go on a job or something?" she reminded them. Sting and Natsu both went wide eyed with realisation.

"Oh right… we should probably be going, or else we won't get back until really late" Natsu stated. Sting nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go" he said, gesturing for them both to leave. Happy followed behind them, making an eyeroll at Lucy, before landing on Natsu's head to ride on him for the journey.

/

 **Forest in Fiore, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I threw myself to the right, Natsu leaping up and being supported by Happy, who held him aloft in the air. "Thanks, little buddy" the pinkette called out, before looking down at me, "Are you okay Sting?" he asked me with a considerate tone.

I smiled up at him and gave a thumbs-up. "Yeah, they just caught me off-guard" I replied, before looking to what 'they' were; a group of green, grinning forest Vulcans. The ape-like foes, some twenty in number, all looked at me, their eyes belying their violent intentions. I could already tell what they were thinking, and decided to leap away, narrowly evading the sudden assault of a few of the monkeys. As I jumped, I felt a heat in the air above me, quickly followed by a few loudly barked threats from Natsu, as he landed on two of the Vulcans with his body completely immolated in flames. I smirked at him, before engulfing my fists in light and spinning around to deliver two powerful blows to two of the Vulcans that had decided to pursue me. Natsu seemed to raise an eyebrow at my action. "I can't have you showing me up" I laughed at the Fire Dragon Slayer as the two Vulcan's I hit, and the two that Natsu had landed on top of, fell to the ground defeated.

Natsu grinned back at me, his eyes as fiery as his fists. "I guess you wanna compete over this, then?" he asked me, to which I nodded in reply. "Okay, whoever defeats the most wins" the pinkette called out, before smacking down a third Vulcan who had leaped foolishly at the Dragon Slayer when it thought he wouldn't expect it.

I laughed. "Fine then!" I replied in answer to Natsu's declaration, before charging up my magic power for an attack. "White Dragon Roar" I commanded with a deep bellow, sending white light spewing forth to strike at four of the apes at once. _That's six to three_ I thought. Natsu watched me with interest, before smiling wickedly, his own magic being fuelled into an attack that floored another two of the apes, and then a follow-up assault that took out another three. Although I was competing with Natsu I couldn't help but watch as he flawlessly performed sequences of perfectly-executed attacks. As the last few Vulcan's fled from the scene, Happy came down from his lofty position, a smile on his face. "That's the last of them!" he declared. I looked to Natsu and nodded.

"Okay… so how many did you take down?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Er…"

"You didn't keep count?" I frowned, Natsu smiled sheepishly. However happy quickly intervened.

"I was counting from above, since I figured you wouldn't be able to Natsu" the exceed sighed, before looking to me, "It looked to me like he took down thirteen, and you took out fifteen" he added. I smiled.

"I counted fifteen too, so that's probably correct" I concurred, folding my arms smugly. Natsu pouted.

"Show off…" he said with puffed-up cheeks. I laughed at his childishness.

"Don't act like that Natsu; it's pretty uncool" I commented, before looking to Happy, "If that's all of them though, then I guess we should get back to the Mayor's house and tell them the good news. We can then go back home" I stated. The exceed nodded in agreement with me, whilst Natsu jumped over some branches, which had been felled in our little skirmish, and regrouped with us. "Okay, let's go then" he said friendlily, his pouting gone now, despite having lost that little game.

I smiled, "Yeah, although first… what do I get for winning that little competition?" I asked the other Dragon Slayer. Natsu seemed to give this some thought for a moment, before shrugging.

"Whatever, I can't really think of a prize or anything" he said honestly. I laughed.

"That's fine, I was only teasing. How about I get to pick the next job we do?" I offered, to which Natsu smiled brightly.

"Okay, I like the jobs you pick" he beamed, as we began to set off back to the house of the person who had requested the job. I tried not to take Natsu's words too much to heart; especially since I was trying desperately to be careful whilst Happy was around to not be _too_ obvious.

 _After all, the worst thing right now would be for somebody to figure out what I'm up to. I need to get Natsu comfortable around me first… before I try anything…_ I thought to myself as we walked through the woods, _if anyone does figure it out I'm pretty sure that Natsu'll become guarded around me, and then I'll never get to tell him… or ask him…_

"Are you alright Sting, you seem a little distracted" Happy said to me as we walked. I almost jumped at the voice suddenly at my ear, however when I realised it was only the flying blue cat, I relaxed. At least I did a _little_ bit.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking" I stated. Happy nodded, before smiling.

"I guess you have a lot to think about as a Guild Master" he reasoned, "Sorry for bothering you" he added, before going off to fly back over to Natsu's shoulder. The pinkette was a little way in front of me now, and I realised that just my thinking about the possibility of getting caught had made me lag behind. Shaking my head, I smiled, more to motivate myself than for anything else. _Come on, there's work to be done first… then my plans can come later… although… perhaps work and play can be mixed together a little_ I thought, before increasing my pace to catch up with Natsu.

 _After all, Natsu did say he liked the jobs I picked_ I grinned internally, as a new plan began forming in my mind.

 **End of Chapter 5**

 **Chapter Hint; Dine and Smash**


	6. Chapter 6 - Dine and Smash

**Chapter 6 – Dine and Smash**

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

It has been twelve days since the arrival of the Zollzero family to Fairy Tail, along with the announcement of their debt, and despite the past week of frenzied work around the wizard guild, all was (relatively) quiet.

"Hi Natsu" I said cheerfully upon entering the increasingly familiar building of the wizard's guild, "You're here early".

Natsu smirked at me. "Yeah, for once" he agreed, before moving over to allow me to sit next to him, and opposite to Lucy and Gray.

"You two sure are getting along well" the blonde noted as I took the offered seat, "You sure Natsu isn't bothering you?"

Natsu scowled at the comment. "Hey, I get on with people just fine!" he barked, his tone instantly defensive.

I looked to the pinkette and laughed. "It's fine, to be honest hanging out with you guys like this is actually kinda like a childhood dream come true, since I used to idolise you and stuff" I admitted with a very faint blush.

Gray smirked. "Is that right?" he stated with a little smile, that made me instantly guarded.

I glanced at the Ice Mage opposite me for a moment, before looking back to Natsu. "Anyways, ignoring that… is there still no jobs available for us?" I asked the fiery pinkette. Natsu sighed and shook his head at the inquiry.

"Yeah, still nothin'…" he stated defeatedly. Although the guild's supply of jobs had been plentiful for the first couple of days after the debt announcement, after about a week the increased number of Mages on jobs meant that work dried up fast, and currently there were very few places looking for help. As Master I understood how the number of jobs could fluctuate, however in my time at Sabertooth I had never seen such a sudden decline. Whilst I momentarily pondered the loss of work, I heard Lucy sigh loudly.

"At this rate, I'm never gonna get my rent paid" she complained, "I mean… it's bad enough that we lose ten percent of our reward money, but even losing ten percent is better than not getting _any_ jobs whatsoever" she whined annoyedly. Hearing her complaint, I found myself agreeing with the Celestial Mage's argument, and simultaneously sympathising with her plight; after all, I'd heard Rogue complain often enough about our own rent to understand what Lucy was feeling. "It's all right, I'm sure some work'll show up soon" I said in an attempt to cheer up the blonde.

After a few moments, another voice joined in on our conversation, or rather three did. "I think you're right, Sting" Makarov stated, as the tiny wizard saint made an appearance beside our table, the forms of Haruki and Kenji following close behind.

"It is a shame that this has happened" Kenji chimed in, "However… things will turn for the better" he added in a stony, unemotional tone.

Haruki shrugged. "Maybe…" the teen stated, "Or perhaps those rumours that have spread about this guild being in debt have frightened off everyone" he added, his face breaking into a cocky grin that earned the disdainful glares of both me, Makarov, the other Fairy Tail Mages, and even Kenji.

"Be quiet, Haruki" the older Zollzero representative stated, before knocking his grandson with sheathed blade at his hip.

"Ow…" the fake-blond grumbled, "I was only kidding"

"Hmph… regardless, Sting, I'd like to speak with you. There's something I feel we should discuss" Makarov stated in a slightly more serious tone. I looked to the old man with intrigue.

"What is it?" I asked.

Makarov frowned. "If you would come with me to my office, I'll explain" he stated, moving to gesture for me to follow him. Still confused I got up from my seat and nodded to the others, before following the tiny mage away. I noticed that Kenji followed us also, although Haruki seemed to stay behind, obviously content to be causing trouble for the others away from his grandfather.

Once we were in Makarov's office, I stood in front of the old man's desk. "So what is it you needed to talk about?" I asked. The tiny man frowned at me from his desk. Whilst this gesture was somewhat adversarial, it was not unfriendly.

"I just need to ask if you are intending on stay here until we have finished our end of the debt, or whether you will be leaving at some point. This morning I received a letter from Rogue, asking for you to write to him and confirm what is currently going on. I understand that it has almost been two weeks since you arrived, and whilst I am not ungrateful for your assistance, as a fellow Master, I also understand what it's like to be away from the guild for extended periods of time" Makarov explained. I listened to what he said for a moment, before shrugging.

"I guess I'll have to return at some point… however I would like to remain for a little while longer. Working with Natsu has been quite a learning experience for me, and I have enjoyed seeing how this guild is run. It gives me some ideas which I could try back at Sabertooth" I replied. _Plus, I don't wanna leave until I do what I need to_ I added mentally.

Makarov smiled at my response. "That is fine. Just please notify Rogue of your intentions, I am sure that they are worried about you. You also may continue working with Natsu… that is if work does show up" the old man stated, his smile quickly becoming a frown as he was reminded of the issue they had just been discussing back at the table in the hall.

Kenji, who had been listening to our conversation from near the door, spoke up at the mention of this work-related issue. "With regards to that…" the old sword-wielder began, earning the attention of both me and Makarov, "I have put in a call. Even though this guild is indebted to the Zollzero family, the family itself cannot leave a debt to remain unpaid without good reason. When issues such as this arise… we members of the Zero Star guild, that is the Zollzero family's personal wizard's guild, are able to take _some_ action to assist in the paying of the debt" Kenji explained. At this announcement, I looked to Makarov with intrigue.

"So… what exactly are you saying?" I asked the Zero Star Mage. Kenji smirked knowingly.

"It seems your friends have already found out… based on how quiet it has gotten down there…" he smiled. I frowned in confusion, however Makarov looked slightly worried. _What is it?_ I thought. Makarov and I both left the office a few moments later, with Kenji patiently following in tow, the sword-wielding man closing the door quietly behind himself. _I don't like this quiet…_

/

When Makarov and I both arrived at the main section of the guild hall, we were met with a scene of apprehension. Natsu was still sitting with Lucy and Gray, Happy on the table before him. Haruki seemed to be nearby, still grinning, although unlike earlier he was quiet and seemingly polite. _What the hell's going on?_ I thought; the entire scene seemed unnatural.

"Well hello there, Masters two!" a voice called out from the bar. Makarov and me both looked to the area where the voice came from, our eyes uniformly widened in surprise. "How're you doing?" Edric asked, his arms folded over his chest, a sarcastic grin ready and primed on his lips.

"You're here?!" I gaped in surprise. The fake-blonde teen laughed, before getting up and walking over to where me and Makarov stood.

"Well… obviously I am. And to answer the question you're next going to ask; me and Thomas," Edric jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to the image of his twin brother lying lazily with his back against the wall near to the bar, "are here because Kenji sent word to Artie about your… work… issue" the boy finished.

As Edric explained his sudden appearance, Kenji came out from the same corridor the Makarov and I had just arrived from. "Ah, young master Edric" the old man greeted in a formal tone, coming up to the place beside me and giving a polite bow to the Zollzero child.

Edric grinned at Kenji. "Hiya, Master Himura" he replied, "Don't worry about formalities, Me and Thomas are the only ones here so no need to stand on ceremony. Oh... and Haru was nice enough to explain everything to us already too, so no need to go to the trouble" Edric added, with a friendly smile. Kenji nodded in understanding.

I listened to the two Mages interaction, before my mind fixated on one word. "Master?" I voiced my confusion aloud accidentally, earning slight glances from both Haruki and Kenji, along with Edric himself. Edric smiled.

"Yes, _Master_ … that's what I said. Did Kenji not inform you all?" he stated with a mildly amused look on his youthful face. Kenji, who was standing beside him, looked a little more embarrassed.

"I… did not inform them of my position, sir" he stated. I frowned.

"So you _are_ a Guild Master then?" I asked, seeking confirmation from the older man. Kenji looked at me directly, his grey, slate-coloured eyes piercing into my very mind and soul.

Yes, I am the highest-ranking wizard of the Zollzero families personal guild, the Zero Star guild" he stated, before pulling out a chain, on which there was a symbol of a five-point star with an eye in the centre, half black and half white. "This is our guilds emblem" he said proudly.

Edric chuckled. "Well, it's partly the guilds emblem. You see… that eye is part of a larger symbol that is our families personal crest. The presence of the eye on their guild emblem shows our family's influence over the guild members, as well as our role as proxy leaders" the teen smirked. I frowned.

"Proxy?" I questioned. Edric nodded.

"Yes, _proxy_ … is there an echo in here?" he laughed, "Regardless, despite being the original founders and owners of the guild, no single Zollzero family member is actually part of it as a member. Instead we control from the back ground, with the highest-ranking member, that is to say the most powerful member, as Guild Master. It's just a precaution so that we aren't limited by all the rules regular guild wizards like yourselves have to follow" Edric explained, before gesturing to a pin on his shirt collar; like the guild emblem that Kenji had just produced, this had a black-and-white eye on top of what looked like a book. "This is our family crest, the eye represents searching and the tome knowledge. Before we are what we are now, we were once a family of magical researchers" Edric stated, "However… times change, and so with that in mind, let's get down to business" he chuckled, before rubbing his hands together. I nodded at this, however I moved to leave and go over to where Natsu was.

"I'll leave this to you, Master Makarov, I don't think I should be the one making decisions that affect Fairy Tail" I stated as I left. From the corner of my eye I saw Makarov nod in acceptance of my statement. Whilst this statement was true, I was also still trying to process what the two mafia-esque wizards had just divulged, and I felt like any other information would just wash over me should it be offered. Plus, I had a few things I felt I needed to discuss with Natsu.

As I arrived at the table where Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Happy were seated I was met with intrigued looks. "So… what was all that about?" Lucy asked me. I glanced at her, however I was unsure of exactly what I should say.

"Yeah, what's _he_ doing here?" Gray piled on, his face visibly upturning at the thought of the Zollzero children.

I shrugged at both of their questions. "It's just about the little… job slump. He says that he's here to fix it or something, or at least help out. I guess since their family does benefit from us paying off the debt it kinda makes sense, but since this is not my guild and all I decided to leave the details up to Makarov" I stated truthfully. "Anyways, what are you guys talking about?" I added after a moment, hoping to change the flow of the conversation to topics less testy.

"We were just talking about… erm…" Natsu floundered, his face instantly showing confusion.

Lucy sighed, "We were talking with Haruki about different types of magic, when Edric and Thomas showed up" the blonde Celestial wizard stated, "It was only a few seconds ago Natsu, surely you can remember for at least _that_ long…" she added with a tired voice.

I smirked for a moment at Natsu's show of forgetfulness. _I know that should be annoying, but it's just too cute_ I thought to myself in an admittedly cooing tone. "Oh…" I stated, trying to think about a way to get the conversation to a topic I wanted, and at the same time pushing away those same thoughts about Natsu's 'cuteness'. "Actually, talking about magic" I chirped up after a momentary pause, "Natsu, I was wondering if there were any particular jobs that you _wouldn't_ be able to do. I mean, I know that we're both Dragon Slayers, so anything with vehicles is _definitely_ out of the question, but is there anything else you can't, or wouldn't like to do?" I asked the pinkette beside me. Natsu pouted in thought after my question.

"Well… I don't think there's stuff we _couldn't_ do, but I don't really wanna do jobs that involve all that boring stuff like puzzles or stuff like that…" Natsu said with a mildly helpful tone of voice. I absorbed this information like a sponge, before nodding, my face breaking into a wide grin.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that" I replied with a chuckle that made Natsu smile.

"Okay, just so we're on the same page" the Fire Dragon stated, giving me a thumbs-up. "So, are you gonna go get us a job then, since you're asking about them?" he added.

As I was about to respond, another voice butted in to our conversation. "Sting, Edric and I are going to my office to finalise a few job requests. Do you want to come and select one for yourself, like you've done before?" Makarov called over to me. I looked over to the old man for a moment, before looking back to Natsu, my face primed with the next question I wanted to ask. Natsu smirked brightly at me.

"Go pick us a good one" he said with a smile. I nodded.

"Okay!" I replied, before getting up to go with Makarov and the grinning Edric Zollzero. As I began to get up a thought briefly crossed my mind; _Damn I've gotta stop getting so hyped up and excited when Natsu praises me for literally ANYTHING!..._

 _Even if his smile_ is _super cute…_

/

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, an hour later,**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

It was an hour or so later when Sting finally reappeared from his meeting with Gramps and the cocky Dice Magic kid. When the blond Dragon Slayer approached the place where I was sitting, I noticed that he was grinning even more brightly than what he had been when he left. _Did he pick a really good job or something?_ I thought to myself, before a grin spread over my features. _Maybe he picked one where we get to fight a ton of people…_ the promise of violence was always something to put me in a good mood.

"Hi Natsu, sorry that took so long" Sting stated with an apologetic tone to his voice. I shrugged, as he took the place opposite me in the booth. Gray and Lucy had already left, each of them deciding to go to their respective homes and wait until tomorrow to pick a job, whilst I waited for Sting. Happy had decided he got bored with waiting a little while after that and went off with Wendy and Carla to help them buy supplies for the guild with Mirajane. "It's no problem, I figured it'd be something important so you couldn't leave. Did you get a job?" I asked the smiling White Dragon.

Sting nodded energetically. "Yeah, and I think you'll like it" he replied, before producing a page of paper and handing it to me. I briefly scanned over the contents before handing it back.

"So, we're just gonna be dealing with some thugs near a restaurant?" I asked, looking for confirmation from the blond. The White Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Yeah. It seems that the jobs Edric brought with him were all designed to help his family's various properties. The restaurant we're helping is also owned by the Zollzero family, so we can't go destroying it, otherwise the debt will be increased… to double what is currently still owed" Sting explained, with a strong emphasis in both his tone and his facial features as he mentioned this last part. I frowned in receipt of this information.

"So… we're gonna have to be _super_ careful?" I stated unsurely. Sting nodded.

"Yup. But don't worry, if we complete this not only are we getting paid by a lot, but also we get a free meal in the restaurant's private VIP suite" the blond grinned. My eyes went wide, as I thought about the food that would be served in such a place. _So that's why he was happy? We get free expensive food?_ I thought for a moment.

"Okay, that sounds cool!" I grinned, "Good choice of job Sting".

The blond seemed to freeze at my praise for a moment, before smiling brightly, even though it seemed impossible that he _could_ smile any wider. "Thanks, Natsu" he beamed at me.

Sting then went on to explain a few of the other details about our job. I smiled politely and half-listened to this information. All the way through his explanation, despite Sting's cheery appearance, something felt off about him; his scent, in particular, gave off this… confused… feeling. _Is there something he's not telling me about this job? Or is it something else?_ I thought for a moment, before I mentally shrugged this off. _Maybe it's just a Guild Master thing…_ I reasoned.

/

After further explaining the job, and agreeing for a meeting time the following day, Sting set off out of the guild, saying he needed to send word to Rogue about his goings-on. I smiled politely and waved him off, promising not to be late tomorrow, however once the White Dragon Slayer was gone I allowed myself to frown. "What was up with Sting's scent, it was really… weird?" I voice my thoughts aloud to no one in particular.

"Is something the matter, Natsu?" Mirajane asked as she passed my table. I shrugged and looked to the Take-Over Mage with a slightly confused expression.

"I'm… not sure" I replied honestly, earning a questioning look from the woman that prompted me to elaborate. "It's just… well, I like working with Sting, but when he's been around today… he smelled like he was confused about something, or worried. You see… sometimes people's emotions can be _smelled_ , and to be honest I have smelled this same thing coming off of him before… but I just don't get why" I stated, my gaze looking at Mira for answers. The waitress-wizard seemed to take a moment in processing what I had told her, before she smiled calmly.

"Natsu, Sting's a Guild Master. It's probably just that he has something on his mind, or is worrying about his own guild" she stated in reply. I nodded at her.

"That's what I thought…" I said, before shrugging, "I guess I shouldn't be looking too much into this" I added, earning a nod from Mira, who then made a move towards another table where another patron was seated.

"That's true, Natsu, however if you are worried about Sting, you could always ask him what's wrong" she stated in a friendly manner, before turning to deal with the other patron. As she turned she gave me one last glance. Although it was probably my imagination, I could have sworn that there was a shimmer of amusement in the look; like the waitress-Mage knew something that I didn't. _What was that?_ I questioned mentally; _Did I just imagine it?_

I almost thought I _had_ imagined the look, however after a moment of thought I decided that it really did happen. This lead me to yet another question; _What is it she knows?_

I thought this to myself for a little while, before I decided to leave the guildhall and begin to make the journey back to my little house on the outskirts of Magnolia. On the way back, I thought of a few different things that Sting's weird scent could mean, however none of them seemed to fit right, and by the time I had dragged myself to the front door of my home, I had many things running around in my head.

Chief amongst these was the quite distracting thought my mind had spewed forth somewhere around the middle of my journey without any reason. It was perhaps the oddest thought in my mind, yet it was the one that I kept coming back to with increasing frequency;

 _Does Sting have a crush on someone?_

/

 **Zollzero Restaurant 'Paradise Star', Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, the following day,**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

Natsu and I stood before the manager of the establishment that we were supposed to assist. He was not an unpleasant man, but he definitely held the same air of superiority that both the Zollzero children and Haruki Himura had, although unlike any of these he seemed to brandish it more as a weapon than as a statement of power. "So you two are the ones Young Master Edric sent to me?" the short, slightly rotund man stated, "Hmph, you don't look very capable, although I suppose you do seem familiar… perhaps from the Grand Magic Games, hmmm?"

I tried my best not to strike at the man, although it was not easy. Natsu was visibly struggling with _not_ hitting him. "Yes, we are the ones who accepted the job. Edric said you were having issues with some local thugs, correct?" I asked.

The manager nodded. "Straight to the point, a like a practical mind. Yes, you are correct, there are indeed some ruffians who are causing a few… issues. Although it is nothing particularly major to the restaurant itself, I mean who would ever _think_ to do anything against an establishment of the illustrious Zollzero family, however they have been repeatedly harassing our valuable customers, as well as vandalising our property with profane graffiti" the manager explained, before leading us to the outside of the building and gesturing to where an apparent clean-up was in place. "Both myself and a few of the staff have tried to deal with them, however we are not wizards, and these people… are… so it's simply impossible for us alone to deal with them" the manager added, before looking to us.

I nodded and smiled reassuringly at the man. "It's fine, just leave everything to us and we can guarantee they won't be bothering you again by the end of today" I stated confidently. The manager just shook his head dismissively at my statement however.

"I'm afraid it will not be so simple. You see… it's not like we haven't tried to… erm… corner them before, with some _assistance_ of course, but the issue is that the last few times we have tried they just don't show up, or they avoid our little tricks. That's why I think we're going to have to deal with this a little more subtly" the manager stated, his smile becoming a little wicked.

"By that… you mean…" I left it up to him to elaborate. The manager laughed and gestured for us to lean in.

"We need you two to pose as customers, and then when they do harass you… you can _harass_ them back…" the man stated. My eyes went wide with this new information, and I looked back to the restaurant for a moment. _But this place is for…_

"Erm… but won't it look a little suspicious if two new people just suddenly start coming here" Natsu chirped up from beside me.

I looked to the pinkette. _Yes, that's an excellent excuse_ I thought for a moment, before the manager just shook his head. "Of course it isn't, we get plenty of people from all over visiting this place. All you need to do is come in, sit down, enjoy a meal, and then leave and… well… the rest should go as planned" he grinned, "Besides, I believe that a free meal _was_ stipulated in the job request, yes?" he added. I looked down at the man, to the restaurant and then to Natsu all in a single motion. _Crap! He's got us there, it said a free meal, but… really… Natsu and I are gonna have to go in_ there _… a couple's restaurant?!_ I cursed myself internally.

Natsu seemed to look at me with confusion, however I found that I had no words to argue with the man, so I just did what I always did; I smiled. "Okay, I guess we'll just go back to hotel and get ready then. When you see us later, just approach calmly like you would any normal person, and then you can give us any extra details" I stated, before looking to the Fire Dragon Slayer. "You okay with this Natsu?" I asked.

Natsu seemed to still be confused, however he nodded at me all the same. The manager smiled cunningly, seemingly happy to be getting our assistance, before we agreed on a time to make a reappearance at the restaurant. As Natsu and I left all I could think was curses at myself that, after all my hard work getting closer to Natsu over these past two weeks, I could end up getting exposed, or worse letting it slip, when we were put into a more romantic, couple-ish setting. _Man, talk about changing the game around. I hoped I'd get to spend some time with Natsu in private… just not like this…_

Meanwhile, I noticed that Natsu did not seem to raise any complaints, and I even noticed that he seemed to be thinking really hard about something. This made me both a little hopeful, and a lot worried. _What could he be thinking about so hard? Maybe he's just trying to figure out how to lure those thugs?_

The job really hadn't been going the way I had hoped so far.

/

A few hours later, at the agreed hour, Natsu and I slunk up to the restaurant. After the initial shock of what was being asked of us had worn off, I had begun to find this opportunity almost… pleasant, especially since I figured out that this would give me an ample excuse to _be_ in such a romantic scene with my crush. _So long as I don't blow it and let it slip out before I can get more info on Natsu's… preferences_ I reminded myself as I entered the establishment with a wide smile on my face.

As we entered, a pair of well-dressed waiters came over to meet us. They each wore the classic service-industry smiles; however, their eyes and scents gave away their intention, and after a few moments Natsu and I were hurriedly directed into a quiet, relatively empty, corner of the restaurant. "We will return shortly to take your orders. As all food is on the house, please select whatever you like, however… the boss would like us to remind you that you are here to work for us and not to stuff your faces" one of the waiters stated, his tone completely contradicting the polite smile on his youthful face, "Other than that enjoy your meal" he added on the end, before bowing out to go and deal with some very real customers.

Once the pair of waiters were gone, the pinkette and I were left alone. "Well… this is going to be interesting" I stated with a slight smile. Natsu mirrored my mood.

"Yeah. They were all polite up front, but then… well… I guess they don't really see us as real customers do they?" he chuckled, before his eyes looked down at the menu in front of him.

I took this moment of distraction to better observe the pinkette from over the top of my own menu. Unlike all the rest of the time I had seen him, Natsu was no longer wearing his usual attire. Neither the waistcoat, sandals or baggy white trousers could be seen, in their place he wore a white shirt and black waistcoat, along with black trousers and shoes. His typical white-scale scarf was still present, though, as both he and I felt that it wouldn't be too odd for him to be wearing it out, and besides I knew from what I had seen that he literally never removed the thing anyways. _He looks good in that… kinda smart and formal… but also kinda relaxed_ I thought to myself, before turning my attention to my own clothes.

I was also wearing more formal attire than usual, with a deep blue shirt, black trousers, and black shoes to match, instead of my own usual attire. Our costume changes were because, as Edric had quite rightly warned us, it was likely we were going to have to be seen around the restaurant, which was quite a bit posher than the setup of either of our guildhalls. The joint decision that our usual clothes might give us away as none-standard guests, which could have scared away the people we were being hired to deal with, led Natsu and I to pack an additional set of clothes to blend in better with the crowd. _It was lucky I brought these clothes with me though, since I didn't really have a reason too… other than for a potential date with_ him… I thought thankfully. _Now… what should I have to eat?_

After a few moments of looking, I glanced up to notice Natsu eyeing me with a bright smile. "Have you decided?" he asked me cheerily. I smirked back, but shook my head.

"Nah, this is all too… fancy… for me. I can't really decide" I stated, with a jovial tone. This made the pinkette laugh.

"Yeah, me neither" he chuckled in agreement, before glancing around at the restaurant and other patrons. Initially, it seemed like the Fire Dragon Slayer was just looking at the surroundings, however he soon became a little distracted. _Is Natsu… nervous?_ I thought after the other male began to grow quiet, not making any other noise after his laughter had died down. _Or is it that he's uncomfortable in these kinds of places?_ I debated after a moment's thought.

"So… have you been to many places like this, Natsu?" I asked the pinkette, trying to draw his attention. _This could be my opportunity to probe a little_ I thought to myself, with a little bit of slyness to my inner voice.

Natsu looked to me, and I noticed a glimmer of something in his dark eyes, although I couldn't tell if this was because of nervousness, fear, or something else. "Er… no, I haven't been to a restaurant of this kind of… class… before. Although I have been to a few, er… high class events before, like a dance, or that thing at the royal palace, after the Games" the pinkette stated with a slightly unsure tone. I nodded, and smirked a little at the memory of the royal banquet after that particular games; it was especially amusing to think of how Natsu had acted back then too. _Did I like him back then too?_ A thought popped into my head, _or was it after that… that I began to have these… feelings…_

"That banquet was a fun night" I grinned at Natsu, trying to ignore the sudden train of thought that my mind seemed to be trying to board.

Natsu smiled. "Yeah, it was. So, have you been to many places like this Sting?" he asked in conversation. I shrugged.

"Not really. The previous Master of Sabertooth, he didn't like for us to 'waste our time' in these kinds of places" I said with a moderate tone; although it was common knowledge that Jiemma had been a tough Master, I didn't like to go into details about Sabertooth at that dark time. "Although, after one particular job for a rich lady… I remember she did treat me out to a place like this" I recalled in a slightly more pleasant tone, to avoid going down another darker and unwanted conversation.

"Really?" Natsu asked me with intrigue. I nodded.

"Yeah, she said she was just doing it to be grateful… however I think she kinda had a thing for me, or something. I couldn't say I liked her that way though" I stated with a smile. _Mainly because she was older, but also because she was… well… a_ she _…_ I added mentally, with a slight smirk to myself. Natsu just looked at me with interest written all over his face. _Fuck he's so cute_.

"So, was she just not your type, or do you try to avoid getting into relationships with clients?" the pinkette asked after a couple of minutes. I couldn't help the surprise jump up onto my face at his line of questioning, although I tried to hide it with another smile. _Where's he going with this?_ I thought after the initial shock had subsided.

"Well… I guess you could say she wasn't my type… she was older than me" I replied in answer to Natsu's question, hoping that he wouldn't ask another like it.

Natsu nodded understandingly. "Well that makes sense" he smiled, before looking to a spot beside us, at the arriving waiter.

"Have you two decided what you'll be having?" the youthful male asked.

Natsu shrugged and looked to me. "You decided, Sting?" he asked me. I smiled, and scanned over the menu once more; in the few moments before Natsu had jumped me with his question, I had finally made a decision.

"Yes. I'll have…" I scanned the menu for the name.

/

A little while later, after maintaining our ruse for about one and a half hours, the manager arrived and alerted us to the presence of the troublemakers outside of the restaurant. Thanking him, Natsu and I finished our deserts, and then left, under the pretence of already having pre-paid for our meal earlier in the day. Once we were outside, we began slowly strolling through the streets outside the restaurant, hoping that we looked inconspicuous enough, and rich enough, to be tantalising targets for our own targets.

After a few minutes our efforts were rewarded, when, no more than five minutes away from the very establishment that had hired us, a gang of thug-looking individuals, all with their faces covered, surrounded us on the street. "You jus' been to that _big_ , _expensive_ restaurant ov'r th're?" one of the meaner looking people asked us, in as menacing a tone as they could muster. I glanced to Natsu, before eyeing the ruffian directly.

"Yes, what of it?" I replied, a slight smile playing at the sides of my mouth as I tried to put on the most hob-nob of an accent as I could manage.

The mean-looking one, who I presumed was the leader, noticed my slight smile. "You makin' fun of us?" he growled, "We was askin' b'cause we been hired to beat up anyone who we see leaving dat place" he stated in a gruff voice, before raising a hand and pointing to me, "So if you were there, den we're gonna have to beat ya both up". I looked around at the gang, there was only about a dozen of them in all; each clearly male, with most likely concealed weapons, or even magical tools. _Plus at least four of them were wizards, according to what the manager told us_ I recalled. After analysing our opponents, I visibly grinned.

"Oh, so you want to fight us, then?" I stated, holding up a fist as a show of defiance against the group. The gang all laughed at this, although I didn't care.

"You sure you wanna be doin' that?" the leader chuckled, "I said we gotta beat you up, like we were _hired_ to. Even if you think yer strong, you two ain't gonna be strong enough to beat me and my boys!" the leader declared.

Natsu smiled viciously at the unintelligent threats of the gang leader. "You sure about that?" he asked them in a cocky tone of voice, which earned an equally vicious glare back from the man.

"Boys, these guys are tryin' to make fun of us. Let's show 'em why they shoulda been scared" he bellowed, "Get 'em!"

At the sound of the man's gruff command, all the gang members leaped forward, some with flames in their hands, other with other forms of magic, and many with knives or guns. I looked to Natsu and nodded. "Let's show 'em!" I stated to the pinkette, before infusing light into my fists, just as Natsu infused flames into his own.

The thugs all seemed to go wide eyed at the show of magic from both me and Natsu, however they were too late to stop their attack, and so after a few well aimed, and powerfully driven punches and kicks, Natsu and I had floored each and every thug, except for the leader, who stood with his back against a building wall with a fearful gaze. From what I had just seen, he was the only one without any magic, and he didn't appear to have any weapons on him either. "So, you're the only one left?" I grinned, before cracking my knuckles threateningly.

The man seemed to sweat under my glare. "You never s-said you were wizards…" he stammered. I smirked.

"Does it matter if we were? Just because people aren't wizards, doesn't mean you can go around threatening them" I replied, before conjuring up magic into my hand, a hot ball of white light that I directed at the man. "Now… you said you were hired… by who?" I asked. _The manager did say to find out who sent them, if we wanted an extra reward_ I thought smugly.

The man tried edging away from my light as I pointed it to him. "I d-don't know… o-our guild was just approached by these people… two of them. They told us to m-mess with… that place" he stated. I frowned.

"Who were these people?" I asked in an intimidating tone.

The man whimpered. "I don't… know…" he stammered. I sighed; _it's useless trying to get any more info out of him_ I thought, before looking to Natsu and nodding. The pinkette spared no time in delivering a swift punch to the guys gut that sent him falling to the ground like a ragdoll, unconscious. "Hmph, these we no problem dealing with" the Fire Dragon Slayer stated in a complaining tone. I nodded.

"Yeah, but anyway… nice fighting skills. Now, we gotta get these guys captured, and then tell the guys in the restaurant who'll deal with the rest" I stated. Natsu nodded. "I'll use my White Dragon Claw to keep 'em from escaping, you go back to tell the manager the good news" I added with a smile. Natsu nodded again, before quickly setting off towards the restaurant. Once he was gone, I let myself sigh. "Well, this was an interesting job… I just hope that Natsu didn't realise my little _secret_ whilst we were eating" I said aloud.

 _Otherwise, it could get_ really _awkward when I'm around him_ I added mentally.

 **End of Chapter 6**

 **Chapter Hint; Rollercoaster of Emotions**


	7. Chapter 7 - Rollercoaster of Emotions

**Chapter 7 – Rollercoaster of Emotions**

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Sting and Natsu returned from the dining job the day after having reported completing it. When the pair arrived, they were in high spirits, however that lasted for all of ten minutes, as not long after Haruki Himura approached them.

"So, do you have the money that you owe?" the teen asked in a rather upfront tone of voice. Sting sighed and produced a small bag with the jewel inside.

"It's in here" he stated, reluctantly handing over the sum to the fake-blond teen, "Although… is Kenji not around to ask for it?" the White Dragon Slayer added after a moment, glancing around. Whilst it wasn't unusual for Haruki to prompt people about the debt, it was odd for the teen to be seen collecting the money that was owed himself, especially since it was his grandfather that seemed to have the magical box in which the money paid was stored.

Haruki smiled. "Pops isn't here, Arthur called him away for something, so I'm here doing the debt collecting" the teen grinned, before another teen came to join in.

"Hi hi, I just received word about your exceptional performance" Edric Zollzero smiled brightly at both of the Dragon Slayers, who had just managed to get a table in the quite busy guild hall. The teen was wearing formal attire, yet spoke with such an informal tone that Natsu and Sting were unsure exactly how they were supposed to talk to him. "You not only captured the guys, but also handed each one over to my families… ahem… _associates_ without any of them being in such a state that they couldn't answer our questions" the teen laughed, "It's a shame they didn't have anything interesting to say, though" he added after a moment, before looking to Haruki.

"I'm sure the people in _information gathering_ will get somewhere with them eventually" Haruki smiled. Edric nodded.

"Yes, they will, however…that's not what matters. No, what matters is that once again these two, fine gentleman have assisted in paying off their debt, little by little" the Zollzero child stated, his voice full of grandeur, like an actor on stage. Natsu and Sting watched the teens interact for a moment, before Sting decided to raise his voice.

"Yes, now… unless there is something in particular you want from us, could we please get on so we can order some lunch" the blond Dragon Slayer stated in as friendly a tone as he could muster. Edric smiled at Sting for a moment, before chuckling.

"I suppose we should leave you be. Hey, look Haruki, Lucy and Gray are back from their job" the teen stated, before sliding his arm around Haruki's shoulders and directing him away from Natsu and Sting's table. "Come on, let's go say hi" he added, before gently pushing Haruki forward with a hand, Sting noticed, on his _very_ lower back; The White Dragon Slayer could even, perhaps, say Haruki's butt, however he didn't make any comment, especially since he was just thankful that they were leaving. As Haruki began moving forward, Edric turned and glanced back at the Dragon Slayer pair for a moment. "Oh, actually… I almost forgot. After you've eaten something, Thomas would like to speak with you two in the office. There is another Zollzero-related job if you're interested, however he will need to debrief you" he stated, before moving off and away from the pinkette and blond.

Once they were gone, Sting looked to Natsu. "Did you see that, with Haruki?" Sting asked Natsu, who shrugged.

"I was too busy trying not to just bark at them to piss off; that Haruki kid really annoys me for some reason. What was it you saw?" the Fire Dragon Slayer replied, his face a mixture of thinly veiled contempt and genuine intrigue. Sting chuckled.

"It wasn't anything important" the White Dragon Slayer, "Anyways… let's eat!"

/

Thomas sighed, as he watched his brother with the two Dragon Slayers, and not long after the Ice Mage and Celestial Spirit Mage. "He always forgets our role" he muttered to himself, before reactivating his magic, multiple Archive screens appearing before his person as he lay back against the building wall. Unlike Edric, who was wearing a perfectly immaculate navy blue waistcoat and darker blue shirt combo, along with black trousers and shoes, Thomas wore a simple, plain blue t-shirt and dark blue shorts, along with white socks and trainers that had a blue stripe on them. His platinum blond hair was brushed lazily to one side, so as not to impair his view of his screens, but still not particularly neat. After about thirty minutes of peace and quiet, the teen felt a shadow fall over his person. Looking up, Thomas's emerald eyes came to meet the steady gaze of a smiling Mirajane Strauss. "What do you want?" he asked flatly, his tone completely unwelcoming of the woman's presence. Mirajane frowned down at him.

"You know, for twins you and your brother couldn't be further apart" she stated with a slightly scolding tone, momentarily looking over to Edric, who was laughing with Gray at the other end of the hall. "I only came to ask if you would like a drink or anything, since you haven't spoken a word to anyone since you arrived here" the waitress added. Thomas sighed and flicked away his screens so that they rested only in his peripheral vision, and he could more easily look up at the Take-Over Mage.

"I'm just fine. Although a glass of water, if you are so insistent" he said to Mirajane. The waitress sighed, before moving off to fulfil the request. Before she was out of earshot, Mirajane overheard Thomas muttering to himself. "Wonder why they are being so pleasant, when we're their creditors?" he questioned to himself, before he resumed his typing, calculating how much of the debt was left, as well as beginning to pull up the information he suspected would be required in his next meeting with the Dragon Slayers. When Mirajane returned, he was already operating about twelve different screens in front of his person, different information flashing up and then disappearing rapidly. "Here is your water" she stated, to which Thomas nodded.

"Thank you" he said, almost automatically, making no move to pick it up. Mirajane looked to the boy, and his faraway stare as he analysed countless amounts of data in an instant. Just before she was about to leave, he looked at her through one of his screens. "Mirajane Strauss, sometimes called the She-Devil. User of Satan Soul Magic, of the Take-Over variety, one of Fairy Tail's S-Class wizards, and probably the strongest female wizard, if not for Miss Erza Scarlet" he stated, his voice cold and analytical. Mirajane turned in her spot and looked to him.

"Yes, that's me" she stated, "Did you find that information in your Archive?" she asked after a moment. Thomas smirked.

"I wouldn't bother storing information like that with magic, I just memorised it before I came here" he said, before briefly glancing at another screen, "I have a question for you" he stated, after dealing with the issue that had arisen on the new screen.

Mirajane gave a look of intrigue. "What do you want to know?" she asked in a probing tone.

Thomas frowned for a moment. "You aren't afraid of my questions?!" he asked, in a surprised tone, before he shrugged this off, "No matter, I was going to ask; since I have only memorised the Fairy Tail roster for those who pose potential threats, is there anybody who utilises magic like mine or my brothers?"

Mirajane heard Thomas' question, however she shrugged in response. "There isn't anybody here currently who uses Archive Magic, however Cana Alberona does use Card Magic like your brother" she answered, before countering with her own line of questioning; something in particular had caught the Take-Over Mage's ear when Thomas had spoken. "Why would someone answering your question be surprising to you?" she asked the teen.

Thomas pouted at the question for a moment, before shrugging and going back to looking at his screens. "It is just unusual for people to answer me on the first go" he stated, his tone suggesting that the conversation had ended. Mirajane realised that she wasn't going to get any more information out of Thomas and so left him be. After about five minutes, Thomas deactivated his magic, picked up his glass of water, and went to a separate room that had been designated by Makarov, at his instance, as the base of operations for the Zollzero family whilst they were present at the guild.

/

A little while later, Natsu and Sting were directed by Mirajane to the room that she knew the Master had allocated for the Zollzero's to use. "Thomas is in here, I think. I saw him leave earlier" the waitress-wizard stated, before turning to face the two Dragon Slayers. Sting smiled at Mirajane.

"He is in there, I can smell it" the White Dragon Slayer stated, before glancing to Natsu, "Right Natsu, I could be wrong since I'm not completely familiar with all this guild's smells yet" he added, seeking confirmation from the accompanying wizard. The Fire Dragon Slayer smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, he's in there all right" the pinkette stated.

Sting smiled, before Mirajane moved aside, "I'll leave you to it then" she said politely, turning and leaving. When she was gone, Sting looked to Natsu.

"You okay with this, Natsu. I mean, I know you were alright on our last job for _them_ , even though it didn't turn out as expected, however if you don't wanna do these jobs then just say so. Or if you wanna work by yourself…" the blond trailed off. Natsu looked at Sting intently for a moment, before smiling and laughing.

"What's wrong Sting? I'm okay doing these jobs with you… even if they are a little _surprising_ " the pinkette stated. Sting smiled contentedly, before recomposing himself at the door, reaching for the handle.

"Well alright then" he stated, before opening the door and entering.

/

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

Thomas sat curled up in a ball on a wooden chair, opposite Natsu and me. "Here's the job" the Archive Mage stated, no more than a minute after we sat down, making a screen appear for us to read off of. On the screen, a picture of a piece of paper, likely the flyer that would be posted, was displayed, as well as a slightly more detailed description of the job beside it. Natsu and I both scanned over the information, before looking to Thomas.

"So basically, we have to deal with some kidnappers at an amusement park?" I asked the blond teen, who nodded.

"Yes, that is what it says" he replied, in a flat tone of voice that made me frown.

"I'm not saying I'm opposed to the job offer, but why exactly is this anything to do with the Zollzero family?" I asked with an interested voice. Thomas sighed.

"The amusement park is a busy and crowded area, perfect for secret meet-ups or drop offs. Plus, if anyone wanted to try anything, then the busy crowd acts as a deterrent" the teen explained in an almost bored voice. "Additionally, our family put the current manager into his position in order to maintain some of the parks more… secret… areas for our own purposes" Thomas added, before waving his hand dismissively, "And to have this kidnapping business going on there is interfering with our work" he finished.

I nodded in understanding, before looking to Natsu. "So, do you want to do this, Natsu?" I asked him. The pinkette cocked his head for a moment.

"I don't mind, but doesn't the job say they go for kids?" he asked. Again, I frowned and reread some of the information.

"Yeah, but… oh, right… we'll need somebody as bait you mean?" I asked in realisation, seeking further confirmation from the pink-haired Mage. Nastu nodded, however it was Thomas that spoke up to answer this.

"Edric will be coming with you. He can act as bait, since he can use a spell to make himself appear younger" Thomas stated aloud, but with no particular direction to his tone; since showing us the job the teen had ceased to look at me and Natsu directly, and was instead scanning over an impossible amount of information on a separate screen to the one he had facing us two. "Edric can really do that?" I commented in surprise, before another voice butted into our conversation.

"Sure can" Edric stated, as he swaggered into the room, before coming to perch on the side of the desk that separated us from Thomas. Natsu and I both looked to him as he entered; although he was Thomas' twin, he was anything but his brother in terms of both personality and looks. Grinning, Edric glanced at us both, before eyeing Thomas. "Come on Tom, you can do better than that for an explanation about this _oh-so-important_ task" the twin said to his brother. Thomas didn't even bother to look at Edric.

"So, you were listening?" he questioned in a bored tone of voice, already clearly knowing the answer. Edric rolled his eyes and resumed looking to Natsu and me.

"Huh, unfriendly as always… anyways… do you two have any qualms about me accompanying you?" Edric asked us. I looked to Natsu, who pouted.

"Er… so… you will be the bait?" the pinkette asked, the pout on his face visibly showing that he was more than a little confused about the specifics of the job. Edric nodded.

"Yes. You see, according to all our intel these kidnappers, whoever they are, go after young kids, especially unaccompanied ones. I'll use one of my Magical skills to make myself appear younger, and then try to lure them out. Once they've got me, you two shadow them at a distance, and once they're cornered, we deal with 'em in one strike" Edric explained, giving a punch to the air to emphasise this last bit. Natsu nodded in understanding at this simpler explanation. I smiled, however I had my own questions.

"So you have more than just Dice and Card Magic, since I don't think either of those could make someone appear younger?" I asked the teen. Edric raised an eyebrow.

"Who said I didn't?" he chuckled, before folding his arms over his chest, "And yes, I do have more than those, you see… unlike my siblings I don't like to specialise. When I was beaten by Gray, I told him I was more of a 'Jack of all trades', and that was not an understatement. I, in fact, know how to use six different forms of Magic" Edric stated in a boastful tone, raising three fingers on each of his hands to emphasise his point. I raised in an eyebrow in surprise.

"Really?"

Edric nodded. "Of course, I never lie" he laughed, "On top of those two mentioned, I can also use both Transformation Magic, Slot Magic, although that requires a special gauntlet I had made with the slots built in, as well as both Telekinesis _and_ Telepathy. I use these latter two to both manipulate the dice I roll, as well as read my opponents thoughts to tell me what types of dice rolls I need to defend and attack" the teen explained. Natsu and I laughed.

"So, you cheat when using one spell with another spell?" I chuckled. Edric smiled.

"It's not cheating. Just… _controlled victory_ " he explained, "Besides, luck is both an artform _and_ a skill… although it didn't exactly work out for me in my battle with Gray Fulbuster, did it?" he added with a mock pout. Once Natsu and I had heard this, we couldn't help but laugh, however not long afterwards we left the temporary office room with an agreement to set out on the job the following day.

/

"Sooo… what kept you guys?" Edric asked, with his arms folded behind his head as he stood at the entrance to the Fairy Tail guild building. Natsu and I huffed and puffed as we tried to regain our breath, each of us having just ran at full speed from our respective locations.

"I'm sorry… I spent so long thinking about… well… stuff, last night, that I guess I slept in this morning" I stated, trying to avoid saying exactly what, or rather _who_ , I had been thinking about.

Similarly, Natsu bowed his head apologetically. "I got… side-tracked eating at this new place in the market" he said in a truthful tone, "It was supposed to be really cheap, but then… I ate too much and I had to beg Lucy to pay off the rest. She was so pissed" the pinkette added with a slight shudder. Edric looked between us for a minute, his green eyes practically sparkling with amusement, before he shrugged and gestured to some random point behind us.

"You two are both idiots" he said, before grinning brightly, "At least… that's what Erza said when I had to explain to her that you kept me waiting" he explained after a moment of both Natsu and I looking confusedly to him. Edric continued smirking as he gestured for us to begin walking with him, since we had all agreed to walk to the destination rather than take transport, "I think she thought I was offended or something, but honestly I don't really care. I may be a member of the Zollzero family, and the current familial representative here to collect the debts, however I have no interest in causing problems or anything, I just wanna have a little… fun" Edric smiled at us both with a pleasantness to his voice that admittedly put even my mind at ease. Both Natsu and I soon fell into step with the teen, as we began to set off outside of Magaolia town. "So you two being oh… seven minutes late, doesn't really mean anything to me. Although… you probably shouldn't do stuff like this with Medea or Thomas. Artie and I are a bit more lenient, however those two…" Edric frowned "Thomas is one thing, being the stickler for rules and all, however my sister… Medea would double the debt on the spot just to see you both sweat… and then make you do something very embarrassing to restore it back to what it was" Edric said with a slight tone of warning in his voice. I nodded in understanding, a faint picture filing into my consciousness. Natsu seemed to have a marginally worried look on his face.

"M'lday…" I mumbled for a moment, without really meaning too. Edric nodded.

"I suppose you have your own experiences of… women like that, eh?" he stated, glancing from me to Natsu and back with faint enjoyment written all over his face.

I couldn't help but smile in admittance. "M'lady, er… Minerva is like that sometimes. Even though I'm the Guild Master now, she still likes to torment me as she always did" I stated with slight embarrassment to be saying such things. Edric and Natsu both laughed at me, as I expected.

"Huh, never thought Masters'd get bullied too" Natsu chuckled. I raised an eyebrow.

"Minerva may play a few tricks, but she no way near as bad as what Erza seems to be towards you and Gray" I commented, which earned a faint look of surprise from the other Dragon Slayer.

"Hmph… I could take her if I wanted to" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued walking. I laughed.

"Oh, so is the reason she's an S-Class Mage and you're not because you can't be bothered to become one?" I asked in a sly tone, giving the Fire Mage as much of a probing look as I could manage. Natsu responded to my look by glaring.

"I'm… just… hmph" he stammered, unable to produce a response. I laughed at the pinkette for a moment, before shrugging.

"Don't worry, I'm only teasing you Natsu" I stated, before glancing to Edric, who was grinning like crazy.

"Is it always this fun being in a guild?" he asked with a chuckle. Me and Natsu both looked to the teen with equally as muddled expressions.

"It… can be, but it can be hard work too" I stated. Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Sometimes when there's no jobs it can be pretty boring too" the pinkette added on. Edric shrugged.

"Oh, it's just it's never this amusing at home. Or at the guild hall. You see, the guild hall for Zero Star is built onto our family estate, so it's pretty much the same atmosphere… all drab and gloomy. I've always liked to go out and have fun, so sometimes I use my Magic to sneak out and do stuff that would _definitely_ get me in trouble if anybody found out" the teen stated, before hoping a couple of steps ahead and turning around with his hands behind his head, "At least when I'm at your guild it's not dull" he added with a grin. I looked intently at the teen for a moment. _Maybe this is a chance to get some info… or at least appease the family a little. Never know, might also reduce the debt somewhat_ I thought cunningly.

"So… I was wondering, why isn't your family, or even your guild, dealing with these kidnappers?" I asked with an intrigued tone of voice. Edric pouted in thought for a moment, before shrugging and cracking a smile again.

"My brother, Arthur, just figured that using your guild might be more… er… _official_. I mean, if Zero Star dealt with it, and they easily _could_ , the Magic Council probably wouldn't do anything because of our family's reputation, however if another guild like yourselves does it, they'll probably actually lock these people up, if that makes sense?" Edric explained, looking to me for confirmation. I nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, that makes sense" I stated, before glancing to Natsu. The pinkette was looking to Edric, however he did not seem to have anything to say, and was obviously just trying to follow what we were discussing. _Damn it, why does he have to look so cute… wait… focus on the discussion_ I thought to myself, trying to ignore the pouting pinkette. "So… Edric," I started again, trying to start another conversation topic before I became too distracted by my own stupid crush, "is everything your family does… er… you know, underground, or do you actually do some more normal stuff too?" I asked the blond. Edric smirked at me, and flicked his eyes to Natsu for a moment, before smiling openly.

"I guess you would be interested… I can't really say very much about our _activities,_ however I will say this; our family does have some more formal and legal business, such as the restaurant you saw, or the multitude casinos, bars and other such establishments. We also use the guild to get other work from the Magic Council, such as dealing with certain underground organisations, so in some way we do enforce the law… although I don't think that really outweighs all the other stuff we do on the side" Edric stated, "And just out of interest, the Zero Star guild's speciality is 'finding things', wherever, or _whoever_ , they may be" he grinned.

I smiled. "So, you're thieves _and_ officers of the Magic Council?" I questioned amusedly, earning a few laughs from the blond, who spun around and ceased walking backwards.

"I said nothing" he chimed in cheerfully. Natsu, who was looking at the back of the teenager in front of us, then began smiling wickedly. _What's got him so amused?_ I thought suddenly; looking at the pinkette's eyes I could almost see the flames of mischief rising in them.

"Speaking of your little guild…" the pinkette began, earning the attention of the blond teen, "What's up with you and that Haruki kid, I noticed you were quite friendly with him?" Natsu asked. Edric stopped walking for a moment, and looked at us both; his smile dropped a little. _What's with that look… did we say something to offend him?_ I thought suddenly, a little worry rising in me. Natsu and I stopped a few steps ahead of the teen for a moment.

"Just so this is absolutely clear, you can't tell my father. I think most of our guild, my siblings and Kenji know about this… but for the sake of not my safety, but Haruki's, you _can't_ let slip what I'm about to say" Edric stated, with a seriousness to his voice that completely belied what we had seen of him so far. Natsu and I both leaned in a little with both intrigue and the interest that was born only of fear of Edric's severe tone of voice. "Haruki and I have a… special relationship. It doesn't interfere with my _information gathering_ work, however if my father found out he would most likely do something extreme in order to prevent me getting, in his mind, 'distracted'. Understand?" the boy stated. I looked in mild shock at Edric for a moment, however I nodded in understanding soon after he finished speaking; Natsu equally nodded.

"I understand, but… relationships like that are okay…" the Fire Dragon Slayer said quietly, "aren't they?".

Edric smiled. "Sorry to be so serious all of a sudden…" the teen apologised not a minute later, "Just to be clear though, it's not the _type_ of relationship that's an issue, just the fact I have a relationship."

I nodded. "It's alright, I think Natsu and I get the message" I stated, before glancing to the pinkette, who nodded back at me in agreement, "You don't have to worry though. We won't tell anyone anyways, a relationship is a private thing, and I don't think anybody should judge another person on who they choose to spend their time with" I added, with complete honesty in my tone. This seemed to earn the trust of the blond-haired Card Mage, as Edric returned to his previously grinning self not long after, Natsu likewise began to show a cheerier expression. It was not long after that we began chatting once more about guild life.

Despite this return to normality, after Edric's little confession I found myself almost sympathising with the teenage wizard. _After all, whilst he is busy trying to obviously hide his relationship, I'm trying to hide my_ want _for a relationship…_ I thought reflectively. _I just wonder, will either of us be able to get what we want given our circumstances?_

/

 **Rising Star Park, the location of the kidnappings,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

After our extended walk to the theme park, Sting, Edric and I were all dragged into a meeting room, where a very gruff-faced manager greeted us. Despite his initial appearance, the manager immediately recognised Edric as one of the Zollzero patriarch's children and became especially pleasant towards us all, carefully explaining the situation, whilst also obviously trying to avoid any of the blame falling onto himself as leader of this part of the family's organisation. Despite the apparent importance of the task assigned to us, I listened only half-heartily to the manager's explanations and excuses. Personally, I thought I didn't really need to know all the ins and outs of the business, all I really wanted was to be told who to punch and when, the rest I figured I could leave up to either Edric or Sting to decide.

On the subject of the White Dragon Slayer, I was becoming increasingly suspicious, since after Edric's confession on the walk over to this place, he had been a bit more withdrawn and quiet than previously, often not speaking unless the conversational spotlight fell onto him or his guild. _I wonder if he really is okay with gay relationships_? I thought to myself, since that seemed to be the most obvious thing to cause the blond to have such a worried and withdrawn expression. _Maybe I was wrong and he doesn't have a crush on me or something… it could just be that he was worried about his guild like Mira said_ I debated, whilst still smiling at something Edric said to the gruff-faced man. Regardless of the reason, what I really wanted to ask right at that moment was not the details of our job, but rather what was so obviously bugging the White Dragon Slayer that I had been partnered with from day one of this debt-collecting.

After a few exchanges of pleasantries, witty comments, and a shaking of hands, Edric ushered Sting and me out of the room to follow him discretely to the front gate of the theme park. Once we alone he showed us each a straighter face than before. "Alright, we're gonna go into the park in a couple of minutes. The manager said that he's going to have the surveillance lacrima cams tuned to follow us whenever we're in view. That way even if you two lose sight of me, the others can tell you where to go" Edric stated plainly, his tone very flat and business-like. Sting and I nodded in understanding, prompting Edric to reach into his trouser pocket and produce two tiny, spherical lacrima crystals, with a tiny cone-like appendage. "Here" he said, handing both Sting and me one of the lacrimas each, "Put these in your ear. It's a very small communication lacrima, designed by my family to be used for discrete purposes" Edric explained as soon as Sting and I had a couple of seconds to eye up the device. I frowned, confused as to how exactly I was supposed to use this, however Sting, after a few moments of looking, picked up the communicator and pushed it into his ear, with the smaller appendage pointed into the White Dragons ear. Edric nodded at Sting, confirming that was the right thing to do, and I, a few seconds later, did the same thing, copying the other Dragon Slayer as best I could. "This feels weird…" I mumbled after a moment. Edric shrugged.

"You get used to it quickly. Just don't be surprised when someone starts speaking in your ear and no one will notice you even have it in" the teen instructed, before a black suited man waved at us from the ticket office outside the gate. "Looks like it's show time" Edric stated after a moment noticing the suited man's wave. I looked to Sting.

"Ready to have some fun?" I beamed, to which Sting smirked back.

"Just remember we're here on a job Natsu…" he said, before cracking a smile, "And no big rides either" he added. I chuckled.

"I couldn't go on 'em even if I wanted to, thanks to my stupid motion sickness" I laughed.

Edric looked between Sting and me for a moment before sighing. "I swear that if I have to deal with either of you two throwing up because you chanced your luck on a ride, then I'm gonna get you two to pay for my drinks when I take you out to a bar" the teen stated, before a poof a magical smoke made his appearance go from grinning blond teen, to smiling blond ten-year-old. Sting and I were both taken a little off-guard by Edric's sudden transformation, however we soon recovered, at least enough to respond to his last comment.

"When did we say that we were going to a bar?" Sting asked the now childish Edric.

The blond boy smirked wickedly, an odd look to come from a ten-year-old. "I just figured I'd have a little fun with you and a few of the guild wizards later, once this job's done" Edric stated. Although this would've been a more tempting invitation earlier, Sting and I both couldn't help but laugh as the appearance of Edric as a child, and the more adult things he was talking about completely contradicted each other.

"Okay, whatever you say little man" I chuckled as Sting and I began to follow Edric to the ticket booth to 'pay' for our entry.

Edric pouted. "Don't even…" he began to say, but stopped as Sting and I grinned down at him. "Fine, but just for this job. Call me that any other time and I'll haul your asses out and beat you to sorry state" the boy said, before making fake 'woo' sounds at the sight of all the impressive rides that had just come into our view, perfectly selling the little-boy act he was putting on.

As Sting and I 'looked after' the childish Edric, we both couldn't help but get distracted by the food and other amusements going on around us. Soon, as planned and expected, we were alerted by the tiny lacrima in our ears that the child we were supposed to be looking after had been taken away by strange men, and then, completely unlike any normal parent or carer would, we each smiled viciously.

"Time to go Natsu" Sting said, finishing the last of his candyfloss in two bites. I nodded.

"Yup" I said excitedly, before getting up, binning the last few remnants of sweats that I had in my hand, and then proceeding to follow the instructions given to me by the cleverly concealed communications lacrima to close in on the side room that Edric had been taken.

Once Sting and I were positioned at either side of the door to the side room, we looked to each other, smiled, and then proceeded to burst in and give the kidnappers hell.

/

A short while later, as Sting, Edric and I all began walking towards the hotel where we would be staying the night, I couldn't help but wonder about a few things. "Hey Sting" I voiced as the three of us were walking up the flights of stairs to get to our rooms on the third floor.

"Yes Natsu" the White Dragon Slayer responded, looking to me intently to show that he was listening.

"Have you ever gone on any of the rides at a theme park before?"

Sting frowned at my question, thinking for a moment before responding. "Not really… I went on one when I was younger to see if I could manage it, since I figured it wasn't really a vehicle, however all that ended up happening was that I threw up all the stuff I had eaten all over myself; it wasn't very pleasant" the White Dragon Slayer stated, before looking at me suspiciously, "Why do you ask? Do you go on them, even though you're a Dragon Slayer?" Sting seemed intrigued by my line of questioning.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I was just wondering. If you can't go on the rides, is there anything else you like to do then?" I answered, before changing the topic with another question.

Sting cocked his head this time when I asked my question, stopping his ascent of the stairs. "I like to eat, but I think that's pretty obvious. I guess… I kinda like doing some of the stupid little things like trying to win prizes at some of the hut-type things… oh… and if I don't eat anything too big and I just focus on looking into the carriage, I can go on the Ferris-wheel type rides… usually" Sting said, before looking to me again with a quizzical gaze. I looked back at him from my place on the next stair up, whilst Edric seemed to observe us both from a little way ahead. Sting stayed quiet for a whole minute, before asking me anything. "Why are you interested in this, Natsu?" he questioned me, repeating his earlier inquiry one more time.

I shrugged, and smiled at the blond. "I was just wondering. Anyways, just out of interest I can go on the Ferris wheels too, provided that the carriage doesn't shake or wobble too much" I answered before turning to look up the stairs towards Edric. From the corner of my I could see Sting stare at me, before shrugging this off like it was just a normal conversation. He then proceeded to follow me and Edric once more up towards our rooms. Once we were on the third floor, and each in our separate rooms, I flopped down onto my bed and sighed.

"Why did I want to know that stuff?" I asked myself with a genuinely confused tone, "I mean… yeah we were just at an amusement park, and yeah Sting's the first person I've been to one with since… er… well since I was a kid… but why was I so interested in what he thought about it?" The questions left my mind in disarray, however only silence responded to my voiced concerns. After a moment, I sighed and sat up on the bed. "Guess I should probably get showered, since we're gonna be walking all the way back to Magnolia tomorrow too" I thought aloud, trying to shrug off my self-questioning and do something more productive.

Stripping down, I threw all of my clothes onto the bed, before going into the quite spacious bathroom and jumping into the shower. "Edric really knows how to pick a hotel, and it's even free, thanks to his family" I commented aloud as I began to turn on the water. Initially it flowed at a cold temperature, however I soon had it up to a nice, pleasantly warm stream that flowed over my shoulders and chest. Standing under the water naked for a little while, I allowed myself to relax, however this soon brought up a few unwanted thoughts; particularly when an image of the blond I was partnered with jumped into my head. "No no no no…" I said, shaking my head as if to dislodge the unwanted idea. "I don't wanna think about that again" I said to myself before pausing for a second. _Although… why don't I?_ I thought to myself suddenly, _is it weird that I'm thinking about what Sting thinks?_ I shook my head again.

"It isn't weird or anything… I just… was interested in Sting's opinion as a fellow Dragon Slayer, that's all" I muttered before reaching for the soap. As I began to lather my body up I noticed that a particular _part_ of me was beginning to act up. "Really? Now?" I said looking down to my half-erect cock. _I don't usually masturbate in the shower… but then again, I suppose it would be weird if I ended up walking back home with a hard on,_ I thought with a slightly irritated tone to my internal mind-voice, _Plus, Sting'd be able to smell it on me if I did, he is a Dragon Slayer after all…_ I decided that for my own pride I'd let myself have a little release, just this once.

As I began to pump my cock, a little part of my mind had one question that, annoyingly, wouldn't go away. _I wonder if Sting is doing the same thing right now… in the shower… or the bed…_

The thought, and subsequent mental image it unleashed stayed with me right until I came over my own hand, and the tiled walls of the shower.

"Argh… stupid Sting…" I cursed as I felt the pleasure of release pulse over my body. A few minutes later I tried to clean up the mess I had just made, before finishing off my shower. Not bothering to get dressed, I just used my flames to instantly dry my body, before practically falling into the warm, soft bed.

As I felt my eyelids go heavy, my mind was filled with many questions, many of them revolving around the White Dragon Slayer. I fell asleep with these questions still in my mind, something I was definitely not accustomed to, however I also found my resolve in those few peaceful moments before unconsciousness hit me.

 _I need to corner Sting and get him to answer my questions. Most importantly, I need to figure out why he's been acting so weird… then maybe I can get an answer for why I keep thinking about him and his stupid cute face._

 _Wait… cute?_

 **End of Chapter 7**

 **Chapter hint; Beaching Problems**


	8. Chapter 8 - Beaching Problems

**Chapter 8 – Beaching Problems**

 **Magnolia Town Outskirts, Summer Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

It had been about twelve hours since I had woken up this morning, naked and alone in the hotel room that Edric had prepared for me. The job the previous day had gone pretty smoothly, and up until that morning I was in quite high spirits. After showering, and getting changed back into my clothes, I went out of my room and knocked on Natsu's door to see if the Fire Dragon Slayer was awake. Sure, enough a sleepy-looking pinkette greeted me and we then went to find Edric. When I, with Natsu behind me, knocked on Edric's door, we found that the teen was already up and sprightly, something which surprised both Natsu and me quite a lot, however neither of us commented. Not long after regrouping, we left the hotel.

On the way back to Magnolia, Edric had us take a detour to eat at a small café that he often visited. The owner was a pleasant elderly lady, that seemed to treat Edric as if he was her own grandson. She gave us all some breakfast at a reduced cost, and even gave us some cakes to eat on the rest of the way back to Magnolia. Normally I would have thought this to be a good day, especially given the cheap food and company I was keeping, however there was something that held a great grey cloud over all of my fun; Natsu's quiet and withdrawn behaviour.

Since he had left his hotel room that morning, Natsu, quite uncharacteristically, had said very little. Initially, I just assumed that he was tired, however as the day wore on, the normally smiling and boisterous pink-haired Mage maintained his visage of contemplation, and I began to worry.

The reason for Natsu's behaviour felt both odd and at the same time worryingly familiar; especially given how he had acted the day before, questioning me on my preferences at amusement parks. I had already given some thought as to _why_ the Dragon Slayer would be so interested the night before, however after a while I just guessed he was intrigued as we were both Dragon Slayers with similar weaknesses from childhood, specifically towards moving vehicles. The behaviour of Natsu now, however, made me second guess my earlier decision, and for much of the journey after the café I tried to work out what exactly was going through the Fire Mage's head.

It wasn't that long, however, before we reached Magnolia, or at least it didn't feel like it. I hadn't even realised we were close to the town, since I was so lost in thought, it was only when the shout of Edric rang out from in front of me that I bothered to look around and check my surroundings.

"Looks like we're almost there" the multitalented teen Mage commented from out in front of us. I glanced up, before smiling and looking to Natsu.

"Well… seems like this is gonna be another uneventful job then" I stated, hoping to elicit some response from the pinkette. Unfortunately, all I got was a mumbled 'yeah' for a reply.

Edric looked at me with a slightly ruffled brow, before nodding discretely to Natsu with a questioning gaze. Watching his miming for a second I realised he was secretly trying to ask what was up with Natsu, however all I could do was shake my head slightly and shrug in reply. With both Edric and I suitably confused about Natsu's behaviour, we began to set off down towards Magnolia. As we walked, I continued to try to guess at what was bugging the Fire Dragon Slayer. _If Edric doesn't know then it's not something he did… so is it about me?_ I questioned silently. _If that's the case, then is it something to do with those questions from last night… did Natsu want me to answer them differently? Or is it something else?_ Looking to the pinkette again, I noticed him move his head quickly. _He was looking at me? And hiding it? This is definitely about me then…_ a thought suddenly occurred to me, however before it could even raise my hopes a few millimetres, I pushed it right back down. _Don't be stupid… if it's about me it's going to be about_ something else _other than '_ that' _… maybe Natsu was hoping I wanted to go back into the amusement park or something, so that he'd have an excuse to go too…_

My mind wandered with possibilities. It wasn't until I reached the guild hall that something managed to distract me from my worried thoughts about the pinkette that walked beside me. Even if only momentarily.

/

As I entered the now familiar setting of the Fairy Tail guild hall, something strange played at my nostrils; a scent that was quite familiar to me. Looking around, I thought for a moment that I must have imagined it, however after a few minutes of looking my eyes narrowed onto a very welcome sight. "Hey, Rogue!" I called out, before rushing the distance between myself and the dark-haired Dragon Slayer with a bright smile on my face. The Shadow Dragon Slayer twirled around in time to greet me, before apologising to the two people he was speaking with; Makarov and Haruki. "Hello Sting, did you just get back from your job?" Rogue said to me in a pleasant tone, before bowing his head slightly to Makarov and Haruki.

"Yeah, we just got back" I said in response to the other Dragon Slayers question, before glancing around. My sudden bolting seemed to have surprised Natsu and Edric, although only for a moment, as the pair made their way over to where I now was with Rogue.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer looked to Natsu for a moment, a flicker of intrigue in his dark gaze, before his eyes came to rest onto our teenage accomplice. "I assume that you are Edric Zollzero, correct?" he said in a slightly stiffer tone than the one he used with me. Edric smirked and nodded.

"Yes indeed. I already _know_ that you're Rogue Cheney, Shadow Dragon of Sabertooth" the blond-haired teen replied, before glancing to Haruki. "Did you receive the advance payment, it seemed easier to have them send it direct than have us haul it back over here?" he said in a business tone. Haruki smiled and gave thumbs up.

"Yeah, it's good. Oh… and I've got the money for Sting and Natsu here with me too" Haruki stated, before fumbling about in his pockets. After a moment, he produced an envelope in which was contained the remainder of the jewel that should be split between myself and Natsu. He handed this to Edric, who then briefly glance over the contents, before finally handing it to me.

"Everything seems to be in order then. Come on Haru, I've got something I need to speak to you about, unless somebody else needs you for something?" Edric looked to the group for a moment, especially resting his gaze upon Rogue, who shook his head.

"I simply needed to ask him if Sting was working like he said he was" the Shadow Dragon Slayer commented, "I don't really need to speak to him especially" he added after a moment. Edric smiled and nodded, before wandering off with Haruki to do whatever it is he wanted to do. Once he was gone I narrowed my gaze onto the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"What do you mean 'if I was working like I said I was'?" I questioned with an offended tone, "Of course I'm working!"

Rogue smirked. "I was just checking that our Guild Master wasn't getting distracted and being a hindrance to our allied guild" he replied in a calm-yet-slightly-sarcastic manner. I pouted.

"Hmph… I take this seriously too" I said, folding my arms in defiance to Rogue's words. The Shadow Dragon eyed me for a moment, before looking to Makarov.

"That reminds me, we need to discuss Sting's presence here" he said to the older Master, who had so far just been watching everything unfold. I frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean by that Rogue? Has something gone on at the guild?" I asked. Rogue shook his head.

"No, the guild's fine, I just figured that we needed to discuss the overall cost of having you over here" the Shadow Dragon began to explain, "You see Sting, Sabertooth's already reduced our debt to only one quarter what it was when we started, however Fairy Tail, at least according to Haruki there, still has almost half left to pay" he stated.

I went wide eyed. "You've already paid off three quarters of our side of the debt?!"

Rogue nodded. "Yeah, however we still have that quarter left. Although you have been helping to pay it off on this end, I began to realise that so long as you're here, Fairy Tail will be having to foot the bill for your accommodation" Rogue stopped for a moment to produce an opened letter which he then handed to me. "I understand that you have been paying your own rent, however the hotel that you were staying at sent me, or rather Sabertooth, a letter, saying that they can't afford to keep allowing you to stay in that room for the reduced price. They said that either we, or Fairy Tail, would have to start to pay the full amount, since even though you are a visiting Guild Master, you have stayed quite a long time already" the Shadow Dragon went on to explain. I nodded in understanding, as my eyes read over the very letter that said all of this.

"Alright… why doesn't Sabertooth just pay for it then?" I said in a questioning tone. Rogue sighed.

"Because we've put all of our efforts into paying our side of the debt, we're currently _unable_ to pay for such a high rent. That's why I rushed over here to see what you wanted to do" the Shadow Dragon stated. I frowned and pouted in thought.

"Fairy Tail could in theory pay for it, since we haven't spent any large sums in dealing with this debt so far, however… if it accumulates…" Makarov stated for his place near to Rogue. Although he sounded willing, I already had discounted the possibility of asking Fairy Tail to pay simply out of pride for my guild.

"I could go on more frequent jobs, or at least go on some of the higher paying ones. The money required to pay for my rent at full is… what?" I looked to Rogue for assistance.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer frowned. "At the moment, you're paying around two thousand a night, however it should increase to double that. If we take it at a weekly amount that's twenty-eight thousand jewel a week" Rogue stated. I nodded.

"Okay… so if I stop giving as much excess reward money to the family, and then go on a couple of higher-paid jobs, I should be fine, yeah?" I stated. Rogue shrugged.

"If Master Makarov will allow you to go on these jobs, then yes" the Shadow Dragon stated. Both he and I looked to Makarov, who smiled.

"I'm okay with it, provided that you keep safe. I can't have another guild's Master getting injured whilst he's entrusted to us" the old man stated. I smiled and nodded.

"That's okay then… actually…" I looked to Natsu beside me, who had been quietly listening thus far. "Is this okay with you, Natsu?" I asked. The pinkette shrugged.

"I'm okay with it" he said, in the most upbeat voice I'd heard from him since waking up this morning. _He forced that…_ I thought for a moment, before returning my gaze to Rogue.

"If that's fine then, we can go and discuss this with the hotel owners later. Ideally, we can start implementing this new fee at the end of the week, rather than now" I stated to Rogue, who nodded. With that decision the discussion ended, and Rogue, Natsu and I, all went to the bar to get a drink.

As we sat down, I noticed that there was a somewhat tense air resting over our group; both Rogue and Natsu were unspeaking, and both wore withdrawn, contemplative expressions on their faces. After a moment of looking between the two, I sighed and tried to put on a smile. _I've gotten nowhere all day when I've tried to prompt Natsu… guess it's about time I should just ask him what's up_ I thought, before turning and looking towards the pinkette. Natsu seemed to flick his eyes to me for a moment, obviously registering my directed gaze, before returning to the drink that Mirajane had just placed in front of his seat.

"Hey Natsu, is everything okay?" I asked in a calm but friendly manner, "It's just you've been pretty quiet today, and even though the mission went well… I got the feeling that you were down about something" I added, trying to prompt the silent Fire Dragon Slayer to respond.

After a couple of minutes of staring, Natsu eventually spoke. What he said surprised me. "Sorry about worrying you" he stated, before shooting me a smile, "I guess I was just thinking about something" he added after a moment. I smiled for a minute, hearing Natsu finally respond to me made me happier than I expected, before what he said finally struck me.

With a friendly smile, I tried to gain more information about what ailed my pinked-haired crush. "Oh… so… is what you've been thinking about just about the jobs or something? Do you wanna take a break from doing some jobs?" I asked him. Natsu shook his head and sent another smile in my direction.

"It's alright, you need the money, so I'm fine going on other jobs" he said "However… actually, can we take a break for a couple of days. I just need to do something, okay with you?" he added after a moment, his face the picture of innocent request. _Oh… fuck that's cute!_ I thought suddenly at Natsu's adorable expression. I smiled out of habit at my abrupt thought, however I had to cover this up as a smile of agreement; even though I desperately wanted to know what the pinkette intended to do.

"That's fine with me. I kinda wanted a couple of days free too, so that Rogue and I can catch up" I answered in a cheerful tone. _At least Natsu is beginning to open up again… however even I can tell that he's not totally over whatever it is that's been bugging him_ I thought in a more realistic internal voice.

Natsu seemed fooled by my tone of voice, and smiled brighter. "Okay, that's cool… so I'll see you later then" he said, before standing up from his space.

I furrowed my brow. "You're leaving now?" I asked in surprise. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah. It's been a while since I saw Happy. He's been working with Lucy, or Wendy in order to let me and you do the other jobs. I think it's 'bout time I hung out with him again" the pinkette stated. I smiled at his show of friendship, sudden memories of my own exceed partner filled my mind and I found myself smiling even broader and brighter.

"Yeah, of course I can understand that. Say hi to Happy for me" I stated, before waving Natsu off. Once the pinkette was gone, I turned to Rogue, who wore a slight smirk on his features. "Hey, wipe that smirk of your face, I was just being friendly!" I barked suddenly.

Rogue laughed a little. "Oh, is that so" he stated with a knowing look and a raised eyebrow. I allowed him his little look for a moment, before I sighed and gave in sipping my drink as he began to speak once more. "Now that we're alone" he started with a faintly amused tone of voice, "How are you doing with _that_ other thing?" I smirked.

"Er… well about that…" I said, before beginning to discretely explain to Rogue all that had gone on between me and Natsu since I had arrived. Including what went on just last night.

/

 **Magnolia, later in the day**

 **Year X792**

 **Rogue Cheney**

Sting and I walked around Magnolia, heading towards the hotel where Sting was staying in order to have our discussion with the owners about the payment. As we walked, we discussed the White Dragon Slayer's short comings. "So basically, you've chickened out so far and not done anything yet?" I asked in summary of all the information I had just been given.

Sting gave me a momentary death-stare, before sighing and dropping his head in defeat. "Well… I guess you could say that" he mumbled, before brightening up and displaying a more upbeat expression. "But I do have an idea about some way that I could get more information…" he stated, with a cheerful grin. I frowned sceptically at his optimism.

"So… are you going to tell me what that plan is?" I asked in a suspicious tone of voice. Sting chuckled.

"It's gonna be kept a secret until I begin the plan. Don't worry though, it's nothing that'll be a problem for our guild" he stated, giving me a thumbs-up. "Although… it's gonna involve the next job Natsu and me are going on" he hinted carefully.

"But I thought you told Natsu you weren't going on a job for two days?" I said in a slightly confused tone. Sting shrugged.

"Yeah, that's why it won't matter to you, because you'll have left by that point" he stated in a more matter-of-fact tone.

I frowned. "I could always stick around for a little while longer" I said, teasing my friend slightly, before going back to my more serious usual tone of voice. "But you know I wouldn't, since _someone_ needs to look after the guild. Besides, I was only here for a day before I leave for my own job… coincidently, when did you get a new job for you and Natsu to do?" I added, giving Sting a probing look.

The White Dragon Slayer smiled, as he held the door to the hotel open for me to pass through. "I got the job whilst you went to the… er… toilet. Whilst you were gone, I figured I'd talk to Haruki and Edric, who were just at the bar. When I asked about some… particular… types of jobs, Edric pointed me to the request board, where he said he'd just noticed a job that was absolutely _perfect_ " Sting explained, "I asked Mirajane if I could keep it on hold for a couple of days. Normally she would've said no I think, but for some reason she said that me and Natsu could go on it in a couple of days, which was great. Probably just because I'm the visiting Guild Master or whatever" Sting finished. I shrugged.

"Probably" I agreed, before Sting and I went to the front desk to request to see the owners. Despite my verbal agreement, something else popped into my head as I stood beside the blond wizard. _I wonder if Mirajane's noticed what I thought I could smell before… coming from Natsu and not just Sting…_ I thought; _Because if that's the case, then Sting's not as 'discrete' as what he claims he is_ I added, a momentary inkling about Sabertooth's reputation filling my mind, which I rapidly dismissed. _Sting wouldn't ever do something to harm the guild… plus, it's not a bad thing that he has these feelings, he can't help it. Just like I can't help thinking about my own little-_ my thought process was disrupted by the sudden appearance of the owners.

"Mr Cheney, Mr Eucliffe, we're so glad you could reply to us so quickly. And in person no less" the short but slim owner of the establishment stated with a friendly smile.

"Well I am only at Fairy Tail, it wasn't much of an issue to come see you" Sting replied happily. I smiled to myself.

 _Always the friendly one_ I mused, before turning to greet the owner myself.

/

After meeting with the owners of the hotel, Sting decided to return to his room. The owners had been quite happy to allow us to begin the new payment scheme at the end of the week, since, as they themselves said, Sting was a Master and a wizard, and so had other work to be doing, instead of visiting them. In reality, I could smell the falseness of their pleasantries and it was likely that they simply didn't want to slight the Guildmaster of another guild, especially one as large and as powerful as our Sabertooth Guild was.

Deciding to return to the Fairy Tail guild, instead of taking Sting up on his offer of coming with him to the hotel room, I agreed to meet the White Dragon Slayer later, and catch up on things going on at the guild he had abandoned in pursuit of his own crush. As I entered the large guild hall I bumped into a slightly familiar character. "Oooph… sorry about that" Edric apologised as he rebounded off of me. I frowned at the blond-haired teen.

"It's not a problem, although… you weren't watching where you were going? I would've thought a person in your kind of business would be on watch all the time" I remarked as I brushed off the minor accident. Edric looked at me and grinned, rubbing the back of his head somewhat haphazardly.

"Well… with _my_ _job_ it isn't really like I'm in all that much danger" Edric stated, before glancing around. "Anyways, you're not with Sting?" the teen analysed after a moment. I shrugged and shook my head.

"Despite our titles, and our famed ability to work together, we don't spend _all_ our time together" I replied, "Plus, after discussing our new payment scheme with the hotel, Sting just wanted to have a few minutes rest. I suppose since he hasn't had time to since he only came back a little while ago. Knowing him, he'll already be asleep" I added with a faint smile. Edric laughed.

"You say that, yet this morning, after me, he was the first one awake, and since it is impossible for someone to awaken earlier than me normally, he must not be _that_ much of a sleeper" the teen commented. I smiled.

"He _is_ usually up first, I suppose…" I stated, before looking into the guild hall. "Now… I should probably get going, I need to find Mirajane" I said. Edric furrowed his brows in confusion at me.

"What'd you need Mirajane for?" he questioned, "Unless you're hungry or something…" the teen thought aloud. I shook my head.

"Sting was acting a little odd earlier, so I thought I'd try and ask about whatever job it was that he had reserved. I wouldn't think he'd make a fool of the guild, however it is possible he'll make a fool of himself" I explained to Edric, who immediately started smiling as I gave out this information. "What is it?" I asked the grinning teen after only stopping for a few seconds.

Edric laughed, "I don't think you need to worry about the job he's picked, especially since I pointed it out to him" the teen said. I gave Edric a questioning look, which made him elaborate. "What I mean is that… well… how much do you know about Sting, in terms of what he _likes_?" the teen asked. I was confused about his line of questioning for a moment, before I realised what he was getting at.

"Well, I know about… that…" I said, trying to avoid saying the topic out loud, just on the off chance that there happened to be someone nearby within earshot who was listening.

Edric nodded. "It's not that hard to see, if you're looking that is. Or if you're as used to seeing it as I am" the teen stated, before shrugging. "But that's just my opinion. Nevertheless, this is the job that I showed him" Edric stated, holding up a copy of a flyer.

I glanced at the contents for a moment, before smiling. "Hmm… interesting…" I said, as my mind began to realise just why Sting had been so happy about this particular job, although this only led to more confusion as I tried to work out what, exactly, the White Dragon Slayer had meant by this 'helping in his pursuit of Natsu'.

 _Seriously Sting, if anything this is just going to make it more difficult for you to hide it… isn't it?_ I thought with a dismissive shake of my head, before proceeding to finally enter the guild hall and order some food whilst I mulled over the other Dragon Slayer's thinking process. I still didn't have an answer even when the White Dragon Slayer himself entered about two hours later.

/

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

The two days passed quite quickly. It wasn't long before I was having to say goodbye to Rogue, as the Shadow Dragon Slayer went off on his own job. With a smile on my face I watched the dark-haired Mage leave, and then proceeded back into the guildhall, where I was met with a smiling Natsu. "So, is Rogue gone then?" the pinkette asked me in a cheerful tone of voice.

I nodded. "Yeah, he's gone" I confirmed, before glancing up to Happy, who was flying around near Natsu's head-height. Over the past two days I had seen very little of the pink-haired mage, or the blue exceed. When I questioned people if this was normal behaviour for Natsu, a number of the guild wizards did tell me that Natsu and Happy sometimes went off to train outside the town, which helped abate my growing paranoia that the Fire Dragon Slayer had been attempting to deliberately avoid me. Natsu noticed my gaze, before flicking his eyes to Happy himself.

"Is there something wrong with Happy?" he asked me in a questioning tone of voice. I shook my head.

"No, sorry… I was just thinking about Lector" I lied, "Anyways, about our job…" I added, trying to redirect both the flow of the conversation as well as my own thoughts. Natsu shrugged at my thoughts.

"I figured you'd have picked one" he commented. I smiled.

"I was gonna tell you yesterday, or even the day before, however you had already vanished" I stated, which made Natsu bow his head apologetically, although he was still smiling.

"Yeah… heh, sorry 'bout that. Since me and Happy hadn't had time to hang out very much, we decided to go on a fishing trip at this really nice spot at a nearby lake. It became a camping trip without us really intending it too though" the Fire Mage explained. I chuckled.

"Figures you'd wander off without telling anybody. Lucy told me about your 'short one year training trip'" I mused, which seemingly surprised the pinkette, who then began laughing and rubbing the back of his head, somewhat sheepishly.

"Heh… I'm sorry if I made you worry" he apologised. I just laughed, shrugged, and then shook my head.

"Nah, it was fine. At least I got to hang out with a few of the others, like Lucy and Gray. I didn't _just_ idolise you when I was a kid, you know, so it is kinda great that I could speak to you all so normally" I stated, before looking around my person. After a moment, I decided to retrace the conversation back to the original topic at hand. "Anyways… about that job… here's the flyer" I said, before producing the scrap of paper and handing it over to Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer scanned over the contents, absorbing the necessary information, before handing it back.

"Okay, sounds good. It pays more than some of those other jobs too" he stated. I nodded.

"Yeah, that's why I chose it. Are you okay with it being on the beach though?" I asked, just making sure that Natsu understood everything about the job before we went on it. _No surprises_ I thought confidently, _not after that last one put us in that… kinda awkward situation_ I added mentally.

Natsu smiled. "Of course, I'm okay with it being on a beach. It means that we don't just get to fight this sea monster thingy, but also afterwards we can enjoy a bit of fun in the sun, right?" he laughed almost childishly. I nodded with my own bright smile.

"Yeah, of course. In fact, the person who sent this job, said that they'd let any wizard who completes the job not just get their pay, but also have free access to their private beachfront house for a day" I confirmed, my eyes glittering as I described the additional prospect of something on top of the usual reward. After a moment, an additional thought struck me, and I looked to Natsu's flying partner. "Oh… also, is Happy coming with us too?" I asked not so much the pinkette, but the pair in general. Happy smiled.

"As much as I'd like to, Sting" the exceed began, "Master asked for me to help Carla and Lily on some specialist delivery job to a remote mountain house, so I can't really come, unfortunately" he explained. I nodded, trying to look sympathetic towards the feline, although inside I was actually a little glad that it would only be me and Natsu.

Natsu looked to his partner with a sorry expression, "Sorry little buddy. Maybe you can come with us on another job, if it's a nice one like this" he said. Happy nodded.

"Aye sir!" he agreed, giving a little salute. I smiled watching their camaraderie with my own fond thoughts about my partner. _Lector…_

"I'll be sure to pick a good job if I know you're coming next time" I chuckled, which made both Happy and Natsu grin happily at the prospect.

After a short little while later, Happy was dragged off by the other two exceeds, along with Wendy and Romeo who seemed to be accompanying them in order to assist, and then it was left just to me and Natsu to get ready. Without Happy around, Natsu's attention became more directed towards me, and the job, and he was soon asking questions about both the job, and what I had been doing in his short absence. As I answered his numerous inquiries, my own thoughts began to drift towards the upcoming beach trip as well as all the preparation I had put into making it _perfect_ for my own personal goals.

 _I've gotta make this perfect, but I've gotta be careful too. This should help me to work out what Natsu's… preferences... are, since he won't be able to hide them so easily when he's almost naked on the beach, however at the same time I've gotta do everything I can not to well… give the game away as soon as I see Natsu's half-naked body clad only in trunks_ I reminded myself, as Natsu and I agreed on a time to meet later, when we'd head off to the job location.

/

A few hours later, near 3PM, Natsu and I set off towards the target destination, a beachfront hotel near to the port of Hargeon. Although it would definitely have been faster to take the train, neither Natsu nor I could face travelling for more than a few seconds on a vehicle, and as I pointed out to Lucy, who suggested we take the dreaded train journey in the first place, if both of us passed out, then we'd just end up missing the stop anyways and causing more problems for ourselves.

 _Plus, walking with Natsu gives me some time to ask him a few questions_ I thought silently to myself with a faint smirk. Walking beside the Fire Dragon Slayer these past two weeks, we had already covered many topics, ranging from talking about ourselves, to discussing our guildmates, and even comparing and contrasting the various different aspects of our two guilds. In that time, I had managed to gather quite a lot of information about my pink-haired crush, including his food preferences (which seemed to include just about everything edible) and even what he liked to do in his down time. The only piece of information I had yet to coax from Natsu, and probably one of the only two pieces of information I really wanted to know about him, was whether he had been on a date with anybody and whether he had a crush on someone.

Every time the topic had rotated to one of these two questions, Natsu had often gotten distracted, or simply avoided it. This had made me very suspicious, either the pinkette was hiding something, or was too embarrassed to discuss it with someone like me. _Either way I WILL get that information on this job… I'm absolutely determined to!_ I resolved mentally, as I gave fleeting sideways glances towards the pinkette walking to my right. _Here goes…_

"Hey Natsu" I voiced aloud, looking to the pinkette as we walked through some quite picturesque landscapes of rolling green fields.

"Hmm… what is it Sting?" the Fire Dragon Slayer asked, with a quizzical glance in my direction.

"Er… well… I was just thinking, what do you actually think about Gray. I mean, I get that you both fight a lot, but…" I trailed off at my open-ended comment. Natsu frowned for a moment, like he was trying to work out why I was asking him this. I was prepared to try to elaborate, however Natsu responded before I needed to.

"While we do both fight… I guess he is strong, and kinda dependable. Even if he is a stupid popsicle some of the time" Natsu stated, before giving me a more piecing look, "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged. "I was just wondering…" I stated, before smiling, "But if that's the case about Gray, do you think like that about people like Gajeel, or Erza… or Laxus?" I asked, with a mildly amused tone. _I've gotta make sure Natsu doesn't suspect something's up… when I ask him about what he thinks about Lucy, or the other girls…_

Natsu seemed momentarily surprised by my sudden questioning, however he recovered in time to respond. When his response came, it was, rather unhelpfully, just a shake of his head, along with a few choice words. "I don't think the same 'bout everybody; Gajeel's an idiot, even if he is a Dragon Slayer, and Erza's well… she _is strong_ , but she is waaaay too scary. Oh… and Laxus is just an asshole" Natsu stated with a slight smirk at his bad-mouthing.

I smiled at Natsu's confident expression; _Cocky when they aren't around, but even I know he wouldn't say that if they were… well, at least he wouldn't to Erza_ I thought with faint amusement, before I began to prepare my next few comments carefully. _I need to get his guard down before I ask him about this… let's try-_

"Hey Sting," Natsu said after a moment, I furrowed my brows.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you ask about what I thought about my guildmates, I'm sure we talked about it before… at least a little?" the pinkette asked me. _Crap! What am I gonna… wait… I know…_

"Oh… er, well…" I sighed, "I just wanted to ask about how close you were to Lisanna. I heard that you two were really close when I was in the guild once, however she hasn't really approached you much whilst I've been there… so… I was just curious" I 'explained', or rather, completely lied.

Natsu frowned at me for a moment, before smiling brightly. "If that's all why didn't you say?" he stated in an upbeat tone, before moving on to answer my 'query'. "Lisanna and I are kinda close… I guess. We used to hang around together a lot when we were kids" Natsu stated, with a slightly nostalgic tone of voice, "But then… we thought she was dead, and it did make me sad" Natsu added. I frowned and looked as Natsu's eyes drooped a little.

"Oh… sorry for asking…" I apologised when Natsu's nostalgic gaze seemed to become saddened for a moment. The pinkette, however, just shrugged off my apology.

"It's fine, it's all good now, since she's here and everything" the pinkette stated, with a more cheerful smile on his face once more. "But yeah, she's not as _attached_ to me as she used to be" Natsu added with a nod, "I mean… when we were kids it was okay, but then she started blabbering on about us getting married when we were older…" Natsu recounted, before rubbing the back of his head and laughing.

I gave a surprised look. "She asked you to marry her?!" I barked.

Natsu chuckled embarrassedly. "Well… she _talked_ about it, but then stuff happened… she hasn't really mentioned it since she got back" the pinkette stated, before shrugging. "I guess it would've been pretty traumatic for her. But anyways, why did you want to know about Lisanna? Did she say something to you?" Natsu asked me. I was once more taken off-guard by Natsu's questioning. _Damn it,_ he's _supposed to be the one being taken off guard, not me!_ I cursed inwardly.

"Well… er… well…" I floundered for another answer. "I guess I should tell the truth" I said after a minute. This seemed to intrigue Natsu further, as the other Dragon Slayer seemed to take pause; Time that I needed to come up with a convincing lie.

Trying to compose myself I found that Natsu and I had stopped walking. _This is it, I need to get the info now_ I realised, as the critical juncture approached. Looking at Natsu I was met with the fiery gaze of the Fire Dragon Slayer. His gaze seemed to rest intently upon me, the flames in his eyes visible and mischievous; I felt like they were boring down into my very soul.

"Well… I guess I just wanted to know, since you have not really told me anything like this before, but… I was intrigued as to whether you had ever… been on a date with anyone before?" I stated, trying desperately to sound confident, even though I knew I sounded more uncertain than ever before. Natsu listened to my question with the same intent look on his face for a whole two minutes, before finally giving some kind of answer. This came in the form of a grin that he wore from ear to ear.

"Is that really it? Is that why you asked all of these random questions, to get me to answer that?" he chuckled, "You shoulda just asked from the start Sting" he stated, before laughing loudly. I began smiling at Natsu's childish laughter.

"I was just a little embarrassed, since you kept avoiding it I thought you'd not want to tell me" I stated with a little more confidence in my voice now. Natsu kept smiling at me, and we began to continue our walk as he answered.

"To be honest, I avoided it because… well… I haven't been on a 'proper date'… ever" he explained, with a faint blush of discomfiture, "However, I have been to places with Lucy, and she often pays" he added. _Probably because you forgot your wallet_ I thought to myself as Natsu listed a couple of the various eateries that he had frequented with the Celestial Spirit Mage, and Happy. "I did go on a sort-of date with Lisanna. It wasn't anything 'real' though, she just treated me to dinner for helping her once when we were kids, however… I don't really count that as a date" Natsu added, with a nostalgic tinge to his voice once more, which he shook off after a moment. "Does that answer your question?" Natsu then asked me. I nodded and smiled politely.

"Yeah, sorry for acting so weird about it" I replied. Natsu shrugged at me.

"It's fine, I don't mind telling you stuff like that. After all, we're friends, aren't we?" he stated, with a glance towards me. I smiled.

"Yeah… we are" I said.

 _Although I wish we could be more than that…_

/

We arrived at the beach resort much later in the day, when the sun was setting in the sky. Finding the hotel did not take long, and soon Natsu and I were face-to-face with the manager of the establishment. He was a short, kind-looking man, who was about the same height as Makarov. Unlike Makarov, however, he had a beard that drooped from his face, all the way down to his knees. His overall appearance kind of reminded me of a garden gnome.

"I'm so glad you could come so quickly" the manager greeted us, at the reception desk of his hotel. I smiled politely at his kind tone of voice.

"We apologise for making you wait a couple of days, there was… er… well, something came up" I lied. The manager shook his head.

"Think nothing of it. To be honest, I cannot express my joy at having such esteemed wizards as yourselves visit my little slice of Fiore" the man stated, before clearing his throat, "And to be even _more_ honest, it gave me some much-needed time to prepare your accommodations" he added with a friendlier tone of voice.

"Ah, well I'm glad it worked out" I stated, before glancing at Natsu. The pinkette smiled, but did not say anything; in situations like these he seemed to leave much of the talking to me. "However, could you perhaps explain what exactly it is we're here for. It said on your request you were having some monster issues?" I added after a moment. The manager nodded.

"Of course, I can explain. You see, this cove is quite peaceful, or at least it was. That is why I set up this small, but welcoming, hotel here on this private strip of beachfront" the manager stated, before wandering over to a window that looked out onto said area and sea. "However, recently there have been several attacks by some overlarge squid-type creature that has gotten stuck in the shallower water around my beachfront. Unfortunately, the squid cannot leave, due to underwater rock formations blocking its exit. Normally I don't think it would have been able to enter these waters, however there was a bad storm a few days ago , and it was likely the creature got caught up in it and ended up here. I've tried to help it as much as I am able, however this as to no avail and in its agitation, the creature attacks all those that come into the water. I have allowed people to remain on the beach, for fear of them leaving my establishment and ruining my business, however besides that I have no hope of dislodging this… unwanted lodger" the man added, turning to us to observe our reactions. I smiled confidently, my mind already working out what this man's request was.

"So… I'm guessing you want us to get rid of the squid, without killing it? Yes?" I asked after a moment. The manager smiled and stroked his beard.

"I see your as intelligent as you are powerful, Master Eucliffe" he chuckled, "And yes, I would. I can't afford to close up the beach, however I have instructed no one to enter the water, or hamper in your efforts. I also have a small vessel which I will give you full access to in order to give you access to the ocean" the man stated. I nodded in understanding, and looked to Natsu, to get the pinkette's thoughts about the request. The pinkette grinned.

"I'm not that bothered about the boat but don't worry, we'll get that squid out!" Natsu declared with confidence seeping from both his tone and actions.

"Excellent!" the manager exclaimed happily, "You can start tomorrow then?" Both Natsu and I nodded. "Perfect, now… I'll show you to your room" he said, before producing a key. I smiled happily as the man lead us away to where he intended us to sleep, however something suddenly hit me as we began to climb up the stairs to the second floor of the three-storey building.

 _Wait! Room?!_

/

We were lead to a single room on the farthest east side of the hotel. Initially I queried the manager on what he meant by giving us a single room, however as I asked, the man explained that his hotel was already fully booked, and that this was the only room spare. Much to my annoyance, I couldn't argue with the client, since he did give us a valid reason. _Damn it!_

As the manager had us approach the door, a lacrima in his pocket made a noise, and he had to excuse himself, before handing over the key to me and rush off to deal with some other issue in the hotel. Now alone with Natsu, I turned to the door and pushed the key into the lock. _It'll be okay, it'll only be for one night… or two, at most. I can cope with that_ I reasoned, as I unlocked the door and entered the room, Natsu following me close behind. _Or maybe not…_ I thought after a moment of glancing around the hotel room.

"Excuse me, I just need to go to the bathroom" I said to Natsu, before rushing off as fast as was humanly possible. Once I was in the bathroom, I let out a large, and long sigh of annoyance. "So not only am I sharing a room with him… but there's seriously just one bed too" I stated to myself, as the image of the plush-looking room, with a _single_ bed filled my mind. "I mean… when Natsu heard we were sharing a room he seemed okay with this, but will he really be okay with us being in the same bed?" I voiced aloud. After a moment of silent contemplation, I realised that even if he wasn't, there wasn't much that could be done, except perhaps one of us sleep on the floor. _If it comes to that, I'll sleep on the floor… it's not like Rogue hasn't made me do that before_ I thought with a faint flicker of a smile as I thought about the Shadow Dragon Slayer. It was not unusual for both me and Rogue to share a room, or even a bed, when on jobs, and from what I could gather, Natsu had needed to share a room with Gray more than once, so it shouldn't be too difficult for either one of us to cope with this type of situation. Usually.

 _If it was anyone else I'd be okay… but Natsu… well, there's no point griping, I can't change this. After all I can't turn this down, I promised Rogue I wouldn't show the guild up!_ I thought after a moment. Going over to the wash basin, I splashed a little water onto my face, just to cover up for the real reason I had so quickly excused myself. Before I left the room, I gave myself a quick check-over in the mirror above the basin, forcing a smile onto my face as I did so.

"I've just got to cope for one or two nights. I can do this!" I resolved, as I looked into my reflection.

 _Just don't give anything away…_

/

 **Meanwhile,**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I sat down onto the soft bed with a loud, vocal sigh. Sting had just run out of the room when we entered, mumbling something about needing to go to the bathroom. _Probably drank too much at our last stop_ I reasoned, as I flopped down onto the bed so that I was looking up at the ceiling of our shared room. The White Dragon Slayer had seemed a little off today, especially after all that weird stuff he was asking earlier, about whether I had been on a date. I had answered honestly, and that seemed to pacify him, for a little while at least. It wasn't until we stopped for lunch that Sting elaborated on his questioning. After a while I grew bored with his questions, and began to probe a little myself, just to see if I could get any juicy info on Sting's love life. Unfortunately, Sting had been quite unforthcoming with his answers, and it wasn't long after that when we both stopped asking questions altogether, instead discussing other things, like our favourite beach activates.

 _He probably got embarrassed_ I thought to myself, as I recounted the events of the day, before I turned my head to eye the closed bathroom door and think about the blond male beyond. _He was acting weird just before though too… Could it be because we're sharing a room?_

I shook my head at the thought. "Sting mentioned he and Rogue sometimes shared too, so it couldn't be that" I voiced aloud, although in a hushed tone so that the White Dragon Slayer would not hear my talking.

 _Could be because he noticed the bed and felt embarrassed to share with me?_ I thought after a moment, a wicked smirk forming on my features at the idea. _It would make sense… especially since when he was asking about my love-life earlier he was so obviously lying about his reasons_ I thought, with a small chuckle. _Sting may not be part of Fairy Tail, but I've been around him so much lately that even I can tell all the little changes in his scent when he lies, or is flustered… like when he just rushed off right now_ I mused. Suddenly a thought sprung to my mind that made me pout.

"Actually… when he just rushed off before… there was that really weird scent again… it's kind of sweet, but really odd at the same time" I said, before sitting up and scratching my head in thought. _It's not the first time I've smelled it on him either… the last time it was this strong though was… when… we were on that job together at the theme park?!_ the memory of the job filled my mind as I thought about Sting's odd scent. After a few minutes, another memory also filled my head; this time one of me that I'd rather not have remembered. _No no no no no no no… I won't think like that again… it was weird enough he first time, especially since I masturbated whilst I was thinking it_ I panicked internally. Just as I began to think about this, I heard the lock of the bathroom door click. _Crap! Think about something else… wait I know. Erza… scary Erza… scary mad Erza…_ A shiver ran up my spine as I tried to wilfully change my thought process.

Surprisingly this worked, however just before Sting emerged from the bathroom, another thought popped up in my head; one that made me smile cunningly.

 _Actually… if we're on the beach tomorrow there will be no way for either of us to hide anything… especially if both of us wear trunks. That'll be the perfect opportunity to finally corner Sting about all the stuff he's been thinking about… and then maybe he'll tell me what I want to know…_

 _Like why his scent changes to that sweet-but-odd smell… or why he was so freaked out when we were at the restaurant…_

 _Or why I can't stop thinking about his stupid cute face… agh! No! Scary Erza, scary Erza, scary-_

 **End of Chapter 8**

 **Chapter Hint; Hide and Seek**


	9. Chapter 9 - Hide and Seek

**Chapter 9 – Hide and Seek**

 **Hotel near Hargeon, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

The darkness faded into a brighter shade of black, as the early morning light streamed through the dark blue curtains of the hotel room where we were staying. "Mm… morning…" I mumbled as I opened my eyes and glanced around the dim room. As I looked around it took my still sleepy mind a few moments to remember where I was. "Oh… right, the hotel" I voiced aloud in a dozy tone, before I found another feeling that I failed to realise; a warmth beside my person. "What the…" I turned towards the feelings of warmth beside me, stopping in shock as I came face-to-sleeping-face with the pink-haired mage I loved.

Once again it took my mind a few moments in order to process the necessary memories in order to remember _why_ Natsu was shirtless next to me in a bed. After my memories of the previous day returned, I smiled a little. The smile was short-lived, however, as another _heat_ drew my attention and I began to feel uneasy. _At least Natsu isn't awake to see me half-naked beside him… with a boner_ I thought thankfully, as I progressively grew more wakeful. _Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to do this job…_

I sighed. "I should probably have a couple of mental pictures ready just in case… well… in case I get _too excited_ " I smirked to myself quietly. _Maybe I should think about Makarov_ I grinned internally. As I thought this Natsu murmured in his sleep, shifting slightly; the action had my heart fluttering. _Fuck he's so fucking cute!_ I cooed internally. Although the situation made me somewhat uneasy, especially if Natsu were to awaken next to me and find me hard, I still got some degree of satisfaction from it at the same time. After a little while, with my fears progressively subsiding, I grew more comfortable lying next to the pink-haired Fire Dragon, and I allowed myself to observe the sleeping male.

 _This could be my only chance to see him like this…_ I thought to myself with a contented smile, _He's so quiet… and he looks so peaceful. I don't think I've ever seen him like this before_.

Watching Natsu asleep made me think about all the times I had interacted with him, countless images filled my head; the Grand Magic Games, the incident with the island springing up from the sea, fighting Tartaros, seeing our Dragons again… Each of these times Natsu and me had fought (both against each other and together), laughed, and even partied, however not once had I ever seen the pinkette quiet. _It's so weird, but at the same time… kinda adorable. He looks so happy too_ I thought as I continued to observe. After a while of looking at Natsu's face, my eyes drifted a little lower, to where his bare chest and arms escaped the folds of the blanket that covered us both. As soon as I did this, I immediately began to feel a heat rising in my pants, however I couldn't help but continue. _This is a rare opportunity of course… I can't go and waste it..._ I chuckled lowly to myself, as my eyes began to soak up every detail of Natsu's visible body, my mind trying to both memorise everything, as well as more imaginatively fill in the blanks that were left by the folds of the covers.

After a little bit of ogling, I noticed Natsu shift and stir, the pinkette murmuring softly to himself. Once again, I was left cooing mentally over the 'cuteness' of the other Dragon Slayer's sleep-actions, however these thoughts were cut short this time by yet another pulse of heat from lower down in my body. "I can't keep this up for much longer it seems" I muttered to myself, "Plus Natsu's bound to wake up soon… I should probably take a shower to wake myself up a bit" I added after a moment. With this decision, and the firm determination not to give in to my wants, I pushed the covering blanket off of my half-naked form, before padding off to the bathroom, in order to have a shower.

/

As I stepped into the cubicle, my body shed of all clothing, I set the water to flow over me in a pleasantly warm flow. At first I enjoyed it however soon unwanted thoughts intruded upon my progressively relaxing state of mind. "This is nice…" I voiced, hoping to try to distract myself from the real reason I was showering at that moment very moment. _Although_ _I bet being wrapped up in Natsu's arms would be warmer…_ "No!" I barked, shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, "I _won't_ think abo- who am I kidding here…" I stopped after a moment, before looking down at my unsurprisingly erect member. With a sigh, I turned the shower to a slightly colder temperature, however I knew this would have no effect; with my Dragon Slayer sense of smell, I could still smell Natsu in the next room over, and I knew so long as I could smell him, I wouldn't be able to 'calm myself down'. This led me to perhaps my riskiest decision yet; I began masturbating myself off in the shower.

With the scent of Natsu nearby, and my new mental images of the half-naked Fire Dragon Slayer, it did not take me long to cum, however once I had finished I had to immediately begin hiding my actions. To do this, I quickly began lathering my body up, trying to clean off all of the sticky substance from not just my skin, but also the shower tiles, in order to remove every scrap of evidence. _If Natsu comes in here and smells this I will literally die of embarrassment_ I thought with a slight blush, as I prayed that the smell of the soap would cover up any lingering scent of semen. With my self-cleaning done, and the shower sufficiently washed over, I dried myself off with a towel, before sliding my boxers back on and heading for the door. As I left I grabbed my pyjama bottoms that I had brought with me, and roughly folded them, before slinging them over the end of the comfortable-looking chair that was in the corner of our hotel room. I then moved to get changed.

As I re-entered the shared bedroom, however, my changing plan was immediately derailed as I was greeted by a grinning pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "Gooooood Morning, Sting" Natsu beamed at me from the place where he was sitting on the bed, still with the blankets somewhat covering his body, although not nearly as much as they had before I had left. _Fuck… from this angle I can almost see… no, don't look. You'll get hard again, you idiot_ I thought, before I tried to distract myself from the temptation of ogling Natsu once again by gathering up my clothes and putting them on over my boxers. For the whole time that I was changing, Natsu said nothing, although I did notice him give me slight looks and smirks. Once I was done changing, I turned to the pinkette with a frown. "Is there something wrong Natsu, I know my hair's everywhere right now, but it can't be that bad, can it?" I asked Natsu, finally acknowledging his looks and smirks. No sooner had I asked this, did Natsu seemingly break down, as he began giggling and laughing, which made me even more confused than before.

After a moment, the Fire Dragon Slayer had regained enough of his self-control to speak, and he answered my inquiry. "Oh, it's nothing to do with your _hair_ Sting, that's not why I was watching you" Natsu said, before his mouth began to twitch as a smile forced its way onto his lips, "No, I was just wondering whether you did a better job of keeping the shower clean than you did of keeping yourself clean…" he stated, with a lewd smile. Watching Natsu speak, my mind tried to process what he was getting at, until eventually it came to an answer. _No… no… No!... no…_

"I have no idea what you're talking about Natsu" I commented flatly, before moving over to the dark blue curtains and pulling them apart to look out of the window at the picturesque beach below where Natsu and I would later be working. The pinkette behind me giggled.

"Really? You don't know what I'm getting at?" Natsu asked me, his tone full of sarcasm. "Perhaps I should spell it out for you… it involves you, naked with a-"

"Okay, fine!" I barked, cutting Natsu off with a bright blush evident on my face. "You caught me… now please, don't say it out loud… or else I might as well jump out this window right now, since I'm dead either way" I breathed with an embarrassed quality to my voice that I really hoped wouldn't incite Natsu to torture me any further by _saying_ what it was I had just done.

The Fire Dragon Slayer stood grinning at me for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and cocking his head. "It's alright, I won't say it… but don't be so overdramatic, what's wrong with you admitting you, just like any other guy, you know…" he raised his eye brows suggestively, omitting the specific word that I desperately wanted to avoid.

I exhaled loudly. _If only you knew what's really wrong with me admitting that I just jacked off about_ YOU _… Natsu…_ I thought. Natsu, observed my reaction for a few more minutes, before chuckling to himself, and finally getting out of bed to head towards the bathroom.

"I think I'll skip on taking a shower this morning… since I don't know just how _clean_ it is yet," he stated, as he padded out of the room. I watched his shirtless body move with a sad fascination, however I did not bother biting back at the pinkette's comments; he was somewhat right after all. "Although, after we're done on the beach, _I think I'll shower first_!" Natsu called out from the direction of the bathroom. I smirked.

"That's fine, just hurry it up right now. I don't know about later, but if we don't get downstairs soon, the manager said that he wouldn't be able to keep the dining area open any longer than normal, and since it closes in twenty minutes…" I trailed off as I heard Natsu laughing.

"Yeah yeah" the pinkette called, as he re-entered the room, "I get the point. Just give me a minute to get changed and then we can go grab some breakfast" he added with a smile.

I nodded, before making a sharp exit out of the bedroom; seeing Natsu shirtless had already pushed me to the boundary of my self-control, so seeing him undress any further might very well have meant another shower was in order.

And that would _definitely_ mean we'd miss breakfast.

/

We ate breakfast quickly, trying to consume as much of the free food as possible, before Natsu and I headed back up to our room. Once we were inside, Natsu made a break for the bathroom, whilst I decided to take up a perch on the single sofa in our room. As I waited on the pinkette's reappearance, I decided to take in more of the details of the room. It was quite small, although not constricting, with a small, two-seater sofa, alongside a single comfortable chair, as well as a large bed. The cushions, duvet and carpet all followed a strict blue colour scheme, whilst the walls were painted in a complimentary creamy-white colour. Similar to the main part of the room, the adjoining bathroom continued the blue colour scheme, and had within it a small shower, toilet and sink each of which was made of white porcelain, with the exception of the shower. _Not bad for a free room… I've been stuck in a lot worse with Rogue before. Although… not quite with the same issue…_ I thought, as Natsu appeared back from his short venture.

"Something up Sting?" the pinkette asked me, upon entering. I furrowed my brows at him.

"What makes it seem like there's something wrong?" I replied with another question. I was particularly interested in hearing Natsu's answer to this; especially since, if anything, he was the biggest problem I had right at that moment. Natsu seemed to puzzle over my counter-question for a moment, before shrugging and responding in a pretty nonchalant tone.

"I guess you just seemed… distracted… when we were having breakfast. Having second thoughts about this job?" the pinkette stated/asked me. Before I could respond, however, Natsu began grinning. "Or is it that you're still brooding over _that_ thing this morning?" he chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes at Natsu, however instead of quieting him like I had hoped, this action only seemed to incite more laughter from the pinkette. "I'm not brooding over that!" I barked, before folding my arms over my chest and pouting. Natsu came and sat next to me on the sofa, with a big grin on his face.

"It's okay Sting. Despite what people might think about me being childish or whatever, I know that it's pretty normal behaviour for a guy to do stuff like that… although _maybe_ not when he's in a shared hotel room… however… it doesn't really bother me all that much" Natsu said, in a friendly tone. I couldn't help the surprise that rose on my features upon hearing this.

"It doesn't bother you?" I asked, trying to confirm Natsu's thoughts on the matter; as well as guess whether he really was comfortable with this having happened, or was just trying to move over the issue and get on with the job at hand.

"It doesn't bother me" Natsu confirmed, with a slight cock of his head, "That isn't weird, is it?" he asked in a confused tone. I smiled brightly and shook my head.

"No, I don't find it weird, so it must not be" I chuckled, which seemed to make Natsu chuckle too, as the Dragon Slayer slid more comfortably into the sofa next to me. As I watched the pinkette grow comfortable, I couldn't help but smile inwardly, as well as outwardly. _Despite my promise to Rogue, I've already been caught jacking off in under a day… and now I've gotta spend the rest of that same day working with my hardly dressed crush… Just to top things off, Natsu is treating this like it's 'normal'… if only he realised WHY and WHO I was thinking about…_

After a short while, Natsu and I began to get changed into our beach gear. As I looked upon the pinkette, clad in nothing except for a pair of red, flame-pattern trunks, a final thought came to mind. _Today is going to be a very tiring day…_

/

We went down to the beach front, to meet the hotel owner. "Ah, you're here!" the short, bearded, gnome-like man said, "Excellent". Natsu and I both smiled friendlily at the older man, before we looked around, noting the presence of two other people, alongside the client. The older owner seemed to notice our glances at the two women that were accomnying him on the fringes of the sandy area of the beach. "Who are these two people?" I asked the man.

The hotel owner waved his arm at thw two bikini-clad females; one a slim-looking blonde, the other a more solidly built brunette. "Yes…" the man said, "These two _fine young women_ are here to assist with your job. You needn't worry about them being paid though, the blond is the sub-manager of this place, and the brunette is one of our three chefs" he added after a moment. I nodded in understanding, before looking to the pair, nodding politely.

"It's nice to meet you" I stated. Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah" he said in a relatively amicable tone. The two women nodded and smiled, before I noticed their gazes drift to Natsu.

"They're both quite capable water mages, and should be of some help to you, since you explained you were unable to use a boat to travel around, I figured that they might be able to help in some way" the older owner stated, before smiling at the two women, "Isn't that right?" the old man stated. They both smiled and nodded at us.

"I'm Lynn, it'll be a _pleasure_ to help two such fine men as yourselves" the blonde woman said with a slight cock of her head, her eyes trailing so obviously over Natsu. _Fuck… don't react…_ I thought immediately, as Lynn's actions instantaneously triggered my protective instincts. As well as my jealousy.

"I'm Coral" the other brunette woman stated, a little more bluntly than her companion, "Like Lynn said, it will be our _pleasure_ to help you" she added with a slight bow of her head, before she sent a gaze to Natsu. "I'm also a really _big_ fan of Fairy Tail, so it's definitely a dream come true to work with you" she stated with a happy expression.

I smiled at Coral's comment, however inside I was screaming. _Just fucking perfect… I'm expected to work with_ these two women! _One's attracted to Natsu and is about as subtle as a brick through a window, whilst the other… although she definitely wasn't lying about being a fan, I doubt that's_ all _she is… not with that scent of lust_ …

The owner of the hotel allowed Natsu and I to both glance at the women, before he began to explain exactly what the plan was that he hoped we could achieve. Whilst the gnome-like man was speaking, I allowed myself to glance at Natsu out of the corner of my eyes. The pinkette seemed to be listening intently to the client. _Has he not noticed those two women's stares… or their scents?_ I thought, as I observed the pinkette as discretely as I could. Despite everything that should have easily given away these two women's intentions, Natsu had yet to react, with him doing nothing except giving each of them a slight smile, before listening to the owner speak. _Maybe he just doesn't notice stuff like that…_ I wondered, _after all he doesn't seem to have noticed anything about me… well, except for this morning…_ I smirked.

Upon completing his explanation, the owner of the hotel allowed for Natsu, me, Lynn, and Coral to get to work, dealing with the unwanted squid in the ocean. As the manager returned to the hotel, Coral and Lynn got to work explaining exactly what they knew already about the squid. I was quite surprised by their diligence, and it appeared that they really were quite capable with their magic, having already lead an underwater investigation into the creature prior to Natsu and I's arrival. "It's basically a very large squid. Not much can be said except for that. It's long, with an arrow-shaped head, and plenty of tentacles, covered in suckers" Coral explained, as she and Lynn stood at the edge of the water, looking down into the sapphire depths.

"It shouldn't be much of a problem for such _strong men_ as yourselves to deal with" Lynn added on, as she gazed between Natsu and me with her usual, thinly veiled, obsession.

"Alright, if that's all. Then I suppose we should get into the water and see what it is we're dealing with ourselves, right Natsu?" I said to the pinkette. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah" he agreed, nodding with enthusiasm, "I wanna see this squid thing for myself".

"Alright, if that's the case, then Lynn and me will use a spell to allow you two to breath underwater. Don't worry about us, though, we don't look it we're both pretty capable when it comes down to using our magic" Coral stated, as she, Lynn, and both Natsu and I all headed onwards, towards the water.

/

 **Sea near Hargeon, Summer Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

When we entered the water, Lynn put a bubble over my head, in order to increase the length of time that I could remain under the waves. "Thanks" I said to the blonde woman, as we began our underwater search for the squid.

"Think nothing of it" she replied, "It's always my pleasure to help" she added with a smile. I nodded, however I didn't return her smile. Whilst I was quite used to women being smiley and even somewhat affectionate towards, in a guild like Fairy Tail I had seen plenty of this from Mirajane, Lucy and the others. Despite my familiarity with this, however, none of them made me as nervous, or as unsettled as this 'Lynn' woman did with both her words and her actions. _What is it about her that puts me on edge?_ I thought as I swam.

"Hey Natsu, you alright?" a distorted voice called out to me from the watery blue. Looking around I came face-to-bubble-covered-faced with Sting, who was wearing an expression of concern. I smiled to show that I was okay.

"Yeah, I'm alright!" I grinned. Sting nodded.

"Okay, I was just checking… I don't really go on jobs like this, where I have to go underwater. I can fight alright when I'm underwater, however…" he trailed off, clearly unsure of what else to say. I smiled brightly at him.

"It's alright. I've done some underwater jobs before… plus I'm used to fighting like this. But you're powerful on your own, right, so you should be fine" I stated, trying my best to encourage the White Dragon Slayer. Sting seemed to take my words on, as he began smiling at me with that usual confident smile he gave.

"Alright, I'll do my best" he said in a cheerful tone. "I suppose it makes sense that you'd have done stuff like this before, what with people like Juvia in your guild" he added with a nod. I nodded back at him.

"Yeah, she uses spells to let us stay under the water for longer, just like this" I said, glancing at Coral and Lynn, who were swimming to my left, opposite Sting on my right.

"Juvia Lockser?" Coral chirped up from beside me. I nodded once more, which made the woman smile brightly. "I always looked up to her growing up, even when she was with Phantom Lord… however, I don't think I'm anywhere near _her_ level of power in Water Magic yet" the brunette woman stated. I chuckled.

"Yeah, Juvia's pretty strong… but I'm sure you're pretty strong too, right?" I said, hoping that my comment didn't sound too rude to the other Mage. Coral didn't seem to have been offended by my comment, however, as she just smiled at me. Looking back to Sting, I saw the blond was busy looking ahead.

"I can't smell anything under this water, except salt. How about you Natsu?" the blond-haired Dragon Slayer stated. I gave a few experimental sniffs, however just as he said, all I could get was the smell of the ocean around us from within the confines of my air bubble. Shaking my head at this failure, I pouted at Sting.

"Nah, I can't smell anything either…" I said. Sting nodded.

"Okay, looks like we can't _smell_ anything… and with how deep we are at the minute, it looks like we're not gonna be able to _see_ anything either. We're gonna be going in completely blind against something that's _designed_ for these kinds of environments" the White Dragon Slayer complained. I chuckled.

"Yeah, it's gonna be fun, isn't it?" I laughed, much to Sting's surprise. Despite the blonde's evident shock, however, he began smiling cockily.

"I wouldn't worry about finding it" Lynn called out as we continued our deep tour of the ocean. Frowning in surprise, I turned to look at the supposed 'chief of hotel staff'.

"Why?" I asked. She smiled.

"Because if you'd care to look _there_ , you'll see that we've already found the… sucker" she chuckled, as she gestured to a place lower in the sea, near to the seabed. Although initially I couldn't see anything, my eyes soon locked on to the writhing shape of, unsurprisingly, a _very_ large squid.

"Whoa, cool!" I remarked upon seeing the creature. It was indeed a squid, with bright purple skin that was blotched with odd patches of white in some sort of swirling pattern. It also only appeared to have one, bright golden eye, which seemed to stare at us from its position in the depths. "Be careful Natsu, we don't know how long it's tentacles are" Sting commented as I began to move a little closer to get a better view.

"Don't worry, we're just out of reach… I think" Coral commented, as she and Lynn moved around so that they were in front of Sting and me. "However… now that we've found it, we should probably figure out a way to move it" the brunette added with a smile.

Sting shrugged. "Didn't the manager say something about blasting a hole in the rock formation that is stopping the thing from leaving?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah" I agreed. Lynn smirked.

"Just removing the obstacle _might_ not be enough to entice the squid to leave" the blonde mage stated, before a slightly wicked smirked formed on her features, "Our unwanted guest may need some _encouragement_ to get going back into the big blue sea".

I shrugged, before looking down at the giant squid again. It hadn't moved from its spot, which intrigued me. _Normally, even monsters would come a little closer when people invade on its home turf… so why hasn't this?_ I wondered. "Hey guys, I'm just gonna get a little closer… I wanna check on something" I stated aloud, before moving downwards without any of them even giving me their consent to do so.

"Hey Natsu, wait up!" Sting called out to me. I smiled.

"Don't worry, I don't think it's gonna harm me" I called back, as I got within a couple of meters of the giant creature. Looking into the thing's eye directly I could see no malice there, although it did seem to have a wariness to it, which manifested in the tentacles that I could tell were poised to strike at the tiniest inclination of danger. "Shhh… I ain't gonna harm ya" I said to the squid, trying to calm the creature as I gave it a quick look over. After a moment, I smiled and began swimming away from the creature again, back towards the other three Mages above.

"Don't do that again Natsu, you nearly gave me a heart attack…" Sting commented as I returned, "What made you want to get that close to that thing anyways?" he added, as I took up my previous position in the huddle we had formed. I grinned knowingly at the White Dragon Slayer's question.

"Well… I don't think it's gonna be a problem making that thing leave" I stated in a marginally cryptic tone that made Sting frown.

"Why?" he asked after a moment of looking back down towards the squid.

I continued smirking as I answered his query. "Because I've figured out why it's been attacking people. I thought it was weird that it had attacked people previously, but not right now whilst we're here… and I think it's because it wasn't really trying to hurt anybody" I explained, "You see, if it really was a storm that washed it into this place, I think it was injured in the rough currents, and one of its tentacles seems to be stuck under a big rock. So when it was trying to grab people, I don't think it wanted to hurt them, but really it just wanted to get their help" I added with a confident smile. Sting, Lynn and Coral all seemed to take this information in for a moment.

"If that's the case…" Coral mumbled.

"We don't need to destroy all the rocks…" Lynn added.

Sting grinned. "We can just destroy the one that is stopping the squid from leaving, right?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah. With our powers that should be really easy too!" I confirmed.

"Great, so if we can do this, then we might be finished even earlier than expected, right?" Sting asked, looking to not just me, but Lynn and Coral also. The two women both nodded in agreement.

"The manager said we could have the whole day off to help you, so the quicker we get this done the better I say" Lynn smiled.

"Seconded" Coral added. Sting and I both nodded.

"Alright then, let's get to work people" I said cockily, as we all began making our way down to the trapped cephalopod.

"Hey, Natsu" Sting stated as we swam.

"Yeah?" I replied, looking to the blond, clad only in a pair of white trunks with a yellow stripe down each leg.

"You're pretty clever, when you're not being an idiot that is" he stated. I shrugged.

"Well… hey, wait! Who're you calling an idiot!" I barked as Sting laughed loudly.

/

"Ah… well that took a little longer than expected…" I sighed, as Sting and I dragged ourselves from the water and stood on the sandy shore, Lynn and Coral not far behind us.

"Can't believe that the squid ended up trying to _hug_ us with those tentacles… I seriously thought I was gonna be crushed for a minute there" Sting agreed, with a slightly fond smile on his face. I chuckled.

"Yeah. It must've thought it was just thanking us, but it really could've killed us if it wasn't careful" I commented, before grinning, "After everything we've done, we'd have to have _death by hug_ written on our grave stones…" I mused slightly. Sting nodded.

"Hah… 'here lies Sting Eucliffe; powerful Guild Master, mighty Dragon Slayer, amazing lover. Killed by an over affectionate squid'. It would be a pretty funny thing to have written" he chuckled. I cocked a head.

"You'd really have 'amazing lover' written on your grave stone?" I mused. Sting shrugged.

"Maaaaybe…" he mused, "Anyways, how are you two?" he asked, trying to redirect the topic of conversation towards the two Water Mages that were accompanying us.

Coral shrugged. "I'm fine. It's not like I'd drown or anything" she stated. Lynn nodded.

"Yeah…" the blond agreed, before she began to make her way over to me, "However it must've been worse for you. How about we get inside and tell the manager the good news… then maybe I can get some of the staff to get towels to help you dry off" she added, in an oddly hollow-sounding tone. I frowned at the woman, who was standing very close to my person. _She's a little too close for comfort…_ I thought.

"N-nah… I'm okay. I can just use my Fire Magic to get rid of all the water" I stated, trying to move a little further away from the woman. Lynn did not seem to get any further away from me; in fact, she seemed to get even closer, as she was now standing practically chest-to-chest with me.

"Well that magic of yours really does sound useful. You can shoot flames even underwater… _and_ you can dry yourself off super easy. Maybe you could help _me_ a little with your flames too?" Lynn asked. I shifted uncomfortably from her touch.

"I could, although it's easier for me to do it on myself… I don't know, but I might burn you…" I stated, before looking to Sting for assistance. Although underwater Lynn had been a little more subdued, now she seemed to be very adamant on getting me to go with her. _Why are women always like this?!_ I cursed inwardly, as I silently tried to beg Sting for his help, much to no avail. The White Dragon Slayer seemed frozen in place, and Coral seemed too intrigued by the whole situation to do anything about it. _Come on Sting… please…_ I prayed.

After a moment, Sting did make a move. "Come on, we need to go and tell the manager the good news" he said, as he reached out to pull me away from the other blonde, who then seemed to tighten her grip on my arm and shoulder.

"Oh, come on Sting, I was just gonna have some _fun_ with Natsu here… we don't need to go tell the old man straight away" Lynn said, "I mean… what's wrong with having some fun with me and Coral for a bit?"

Sting hardened his gaze. "You two have fun by yourselves, Natsu and I have to go tell our client that we've done what we were hired to do" he said in a flat, unquestionable, tone. Lynn pouted.

"Hmph… you just wanna keep Natsu all to yourself, hm?" she stated, not letting me go for anything. Seeing the rising tension, I tried to speak up.

"Well… come on, let's just tell the manager, then we can do whatever we want, right?" I voiced aloud. Sting nodded, and once more tried to tug at my wrist to follow him. Lynn, however, still did not budge.

"Don't you like having fun, Natsu?" she asked me. I shrugged.

"I do like having fun, but-"

"But what, am I no fun?" Lynn interjected.

"No, but still…" I found myself getting too tounge-tied to respond. Lynn seemed take this as a victory, however Sting tried one last time to tug at me to follow him. As I tried to follow, Lynn gave one last tug at my shoulder, which unbalanced me, and sent me crashing to the ground. Sting whirled around as soon as his hand lost connection with my wrist. As my mind recovered from what had just happened, I found myself laying in the lap of Lynn, who wore a victorious smirk. Sting looked to us for a moment, before turning in his place and marching off. "Fine, do what you want… if you want to have _fun_ , then have fun. I don't care" he barked, before marching off towards the hotel, not looking back even once. I tried to get up to follow him, however Lynn's weight still held me down.

"Where are you going?" she asked, in a sickly-sweet tone, that finally sent me over the edge.

"I'm going to find Sting, now piss off. I said I didn't want to have fun right now!" I barked, before dashing off towards the hotel after the White Dragon Slayer. As I ran, a number of thoughts passed through my head.

 _Where did Sting go?_

 _Why was he so upset all of a sudden?_

 _Why did I not just get that woman off of me to start with?_

The answers to each of these seemed to elude me, however one thing was for certain, whatever made Sting get mad all of a sudden, was about me, and not about that woman. That was the gut feeling I got, not that I could explain _why_ I thought that.

/

 **Hotel Room, Summer Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I sat on the sofa, with my knees huddled up to my chest. Luckily, I was the one with the room key, so I could enter our hotel room without much of an issue. As I sat in my ball of despair, I wondered to myself why exactly I had gotten so angry. _It's not like I believe Natsu wanted to stay with that woman… he seemed just as confused when he was pulled down, however… argh, why am I being so stupid?_

The answer to that question was obvious, however I didn't dare say it aloud. "Maybe… I should go apologise, to Natsu at least. It's not his fault she was so determined to have her way" I said, between a few, sorrow-shaken breaths. _Although… he didn't seem to be resisting all that much…_

"No! He said he wanted to tell the manger too… so why did I react when I saw him dragged down?"

 _Because it reminded me that Natsu will not be attracted to me… will not ever be mine…_ the thought filled me with despair almost as quickly as the prospect of losing Lector. I sobbed a little to myself. _Pathetic… I'm a Dragon Slayer, and I'm crying over some stupid crush. I'm absolutely pathetic…_

I sighed and lay down in a ball on the sofa. "If only I could tell him without having to worry about the guild… I don't care if this affect _me_ , however I _know_ that if this gets out it'll be Sabertooth that'll pay the consequences" I said, trying to push down my sobbing for a moment, and allow myself to regain control. I was quiet for a few minutes, as I slowly calmed down, however soon another thing dragged me from my calmness. A knock at the door.

"Hey Sting, I know you're in there. Please open up" Natsu's voice came from beyond the wood. I didn't move for a moment. _Crap… what should I do… if I leave him out there then it'll seem like I'm blaming him, but it's not really his fault. If anything, it was me who overreacted… but can I really manage to keep calm right now? If I feel overwhelmed and run off again Natsu'll definitely know somethings up, however… oh fuck it!_ I got up and went over to the door.

"What do you want Natsu?" I asked through the door, in as level a tone as I could muster.

"I just wanna speak with you" Natsu replied, he seemed genuine, "Oh… and after you ran off to play hide and seek, I told Lynn to piss off, so you don't have to worry about her either" the Fire Dragon Slayer added after a moment. I couldn't help but smirk a little at hearing that, however I quickly sobered myself, before reaching for the door handle.

"Come in then" I stated, as I opened the door for the pinkette. Natsu nodded and entered, his usual smile on his face, tinted with a little evident concern for whatever it was he thought was wrong. Once he was inside I quickly closed and locked the door again.

"So… can I sit?" Natsu asked as we both stood uncomfortably in our shared accommodation.

I nodded. "You don't need to ask me, this is our room after all" I stated, as I took the single chair, and Natsu sat on the sofa beside me, shifting in visible discomfort at the tense situation in which we were currently stuck. After a few moments of silent thought, the pinkette looked at me.

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on?" he asked. I shrugged.

"About down there?" I replied, nodding my head in the rough direction of the beach, relative to our room. "I guess I just lost my temper because of how she was treating you" I stated.

Natsu shook his head. "No, I figured that much out. What I meant was…" the pinkette seemed to take a moment to compose his thoughts. After that time, he let out a large sigh. "Look, I've been thinking this for a while, but something is clearly up with you. When I asked Mira, she said it was probably because you were stressed out because you are a Guild Master, however I don't think that's it. When we went on that job for Edric at the restaurant, you acted really weird, and then you did again at the Theme Park…" Natsu took a moment to think about what his next words were going to be. Despite everything he said, I dared not utter a single word, my mind somewhat intrigued by what the other Dragon Slayer was going to say. "Every time I've been around you… there's this weird scent too… and recently, I've began to think about it, but… well… I just couldn't stop thinking about what was up with you, and just now, when you stormed off… that smell was still there, and it made me think that this must be about me… so…" Natsu trailed off, his eloquence clearly lost now, as his eyes stared intently into my, trying desperately to search for the answers he clearly, desperately wanted.

Completely enveloped in that gaze I realised that I could not escape my feelings any longer, nor could I continue to lie to Natsu. Without a word uttered, I let out a long, and greatly stressed sigh. "Well… I guess I couldn't hide it as well as I thought" I said, before looking to Natsu with a slight, hopeless smile.

"You see Natsu… I well… I… _I… like… you…_ " I said, in the faintest voice possible.

Natsu did not react to my revelation.

 **End of Chapter 9**

 **Chapter Hint; Long Awaited Reply**


	10. Chapter 10 - Long Awaited Reply

**Chapter 10 – Long Awaited Reply**

 **Hotel Room, Summer Time**

 **Year X792,**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I sat there for a moment, listening to Natsu's explanation; my heart raced. Oddly, I felt no real stress at the pinkette's revelations, not even at the mention of his seeking consultation from Mirajane; I just sat in silence as I listened. Once Natsu was finished, I realised I could escape my feelings no longer, and with a slight, hopeless smile, I let out a sigh. "Well… I guess I couldn't hide it as well as I thought" I said, as my eyes looked to the pinkette, and his deeply questioning gaze.

"You see Natsu… I well… I… _I… like… you…_ " I said, in the faintest voice possible, finally admitting the one thing I had tried desperately to hide for all this time. As I spoke these words, Natsu did not react, he just seemed to freeze in a quiet listening position. The silence was deafening, so much so I almost felt _obligated_ to talk, to explain _everything_ to my pink haired crush.

"I guess I've always liked you. At first it was just admiration for another Dragon Slayer, especially when I was a kid… however after our time at the Grand Magic Games, I found myself thinking of you a little more like… well… like a _crush._ And then after that whole Tartaros thing, and Fairy Tail being disbanded… and you went missing… I thought I'd never be able to find you again, or… t-tell you… well… er…" I trailed off, looking to Natsu intently, hoping and praying that he'd understand.

Still Natsu did not react.

This silent waiting lasted for a long… painfully long… amazingly _painfully_ long moment, before the Fire Dragon Slayer finally showed any kind of reaction at all.

After all my waiting, Natsu smiled.

"Is that really what's been bothering you?" he asked in a surprisingly upbeat, and encouraging tone of voice. I looked to him with great surprise written across my face. "Just to make things super clear though, you're gay then?" Natsu asked me. I nodded, unable to speak as shock stole my coherency from me; this made Natsu chuckle slightly.

"Y-you mean… you're not…" I stammered a little without finishing what I was saying, as the Fire Dragon Slayer looked like he had more to say.

"I'm not gonna make fun of you or anything Sting" he said, with an honest glint in his eye. "I'm kinda surprised that you like me like that, however… I don't know, I _guess_ it doesn't _really_ surprise me" Natsu answered honestly. I went wide-eyed, before pouting.

"Was I really that obvious?" I asked, in not so much a sarcastic tone, as a defeated one; if Natsu answered yes to this, it would do nothing but make me worry about who else thought I was gay.

Natsu shook his head, however, and I relaxed, a little. "No, I don't think it's because it was obvious or anything… although, the weird way you acted in the restaurant makes more sense now" Natsu said, with a faint smirk. "But don't get any ideas, I did just think that was a normal, albeit somewhat fancy, dinner we had as friends, right?" he added. I nodded in understanding.

"It's okay, I didn't think of that like a date either" I said, in half-truthfulness. Natsu laughed openly.

"Sting, I can tell when you're lying. I've been able to since about the first week or two we worked together" the pinkette stated, tapping his nose a little to emphasise this. I blushed brightly at this new revelation. _Fuck… so I really_ can't _hide anything from him then_ I thought. Natsu seemed to almost read my mind as he began laughing some more, "I could tell you were hiding stuff for a while, so I did kind of worry about you, however I never thought it could have been something like _this_ " he added amusedly. I shrugged apologetically.

"I didn't mean to worry you… I just thought you might think I was 'weird', or worse, if I told you, so I tried to keep it hidden as much as I could" I stated. Natsu nodded, however he shook his head soon after.

"It's alright, I _know_ you didn't mean to worry me, however… did you really think I'd be like one of those homophobic idiots who goes spouting off about gay relationships being 'wrong' or 'unnatural'?" the pinkette asked me, with a slight cock of his head. I sighed as I answered him.

"I guess I did… although looking back now it kind of feels dumb. However… now that you know, I can understand if you don't want to share a room with me, and I'm okay sleeping on the floor or sofa tonight" I stated, trying to make sure Natsu really was okay with all this, as well as try to make sure the pinkette was as comfortable as possible around me; Even if I had no hope of being with him romantically I still hoped we could remain friends after all.

Natsu, on the other hand, rubbed the back of his head somewhat awkwardly. "Well, about that…" he began. I looked to him quizzically as he gazed sheepishly in my direction.

"What is it?" I asked, with a faint fluttery feeling in my chest as I awaited Natsu's response. The pinkette seemed to need a moment before he gave one.

"If I'm being honest here… I well…" Natsu began to blush a little. _What is… oh… is he…_ hope rose in my chest quicker than I could care to push it down. "Well, Sting, the thing is… I don't really understand this all yet, but…" Natsu in took a sharp breath, before releasing it in one go, "After our job at the Theme Park, I ended up asking you all those weird questions. At the time, I had no reason to bother you with them all, however… there was something weird going on with me. I had been noticing that smell coming from you like I said, which I guess must've been the scent of your attraction or something, however… I think it began to have an effect on me as well, because… well, when I went in the shower after that, I ended up… well _thinking_ about you… a little…" Natsu kept going pinker and pinker each time he spoke; it was all very adorable, however what made it even better was what he was trying to admit. I couldn't bring myself to interrupt Natsu, not if he was going to say what I desperately hoped he was going to say. "I guess… I _could_ be attracted to you too Sting" Natsu finally admitted. I felt my heart do a little summersault at Natsu's confession, and I had to take a moment to let the feeling subside so that I could speak without bursting into a little pile of happiness and giggles.

When I did speak, it came out in the least manly, and most annoying way possible. "S-so… Natsu, does that mean…" I began, before Natsu held up a hand to signal for me to stop.

"I only said I _thought_ that I _could_ be attracted to you too Sting, not that I am _sure_ I am yet" he corrected me. I nodded.

"So… I'm not really sure what that means…" I answered in a marginally confused tone of voice. Natsu smiled brightly at me saying this.

"Well, it's been a number of days since that Theme Park job, and I've had some time to think about it. When I went with Happy on our fishing trip, I may have admitted to him that I thought I might have a crush on someone too, although don't worry, I didn't say _who_. He helped me come up with an idea I think you may like" Natsu said to me, with a grin plastered over his features. I furrowed my brows confusedly at the pinkette's suggestive behaviour.

"What do you want to do, Natsu?" I asked; at this point I would probably do just about _anything_ if it meant I could be with the pinkette.

Natsu chuckled. "How does you taking me out for a little date sound?" he mused. My eyes and smile could have gone any wider, or shone any brighter.

Sitting atop cloud nine, I grinned at the pinkette. "It sounds like an amazing idea!" I beamed happily. Natsu began laughing.

"Okay then" he chuckled, "How about tomorrow. We'll have the beach house the manager promised us on the job flyer, at least for a day. We can spend a bit of time together during the day, just relaxing and having fun, and then… at night…" he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

I nodded. "Sounds good… although I might have to ditch you at some point to go make some preparations. This is short notice, but I'm _sure_ I can arrange something… I saw some great looking restaurants on the way into town" I stated excitedly. Natsu nodded in agreement with this plan.

With that, not only had I successfully managed to admit the feelings I had always kept for the Fire Dragon Slayer, but also, in only a matter of minutes, I had managed to arrange an amazing date. With the memories of Natsu and Lynn now firmly removed from my psyche, today was looking to be perhaps one of the best days of my life.

 _However, that does depend on how_ tomorrow _goes…_ a little voice in my head muttered. I quashed it instantly; at this moment, I wanted nothing but happiness and love in both my mind and my heart.

/

After our talk, Natsu decided to shower. The sand from the beach that we had both dragged into our room meant that the sofa was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Whilst the pinkette showered, I went downstairs in search of the manager. It didn't take me long to find the gnomish old man, and after a brief exchange, he happily handed me over the key to his beach house. "It's lovely, I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable there. Just a word of warning, though, like the room, it does only have one bed" the manager stated, "will that be an issue, or…" I shook my head.

"It should be okay. Natsu and me don't mind sharing" I said, in a politely thankful tone of voice. The manager nodded happily.

"That's good" he smiled, "Now I should probably just show you exactly where it is, and then you can return to your room and collect your stuff. I will allow you to keep it for the remainder of today, and tomorrow, if that sounds fair?"

Again, I nodded and smiled. "It's amazing you're even letting us have this place for the rest of today, never mind the whole of tomorrow, so I can't complain" I beamed. The manager chuckled.

"I always believe that people should get what they deserve, especially when they're as helpful as you two wizards" the old man mused, as he led me to the outside deck of the hotel which then led onto the beach. "The building is just over there" the manager stated, pointing to a fancy-looking building, and the only other one that had stairs leading down to the strip of beach behind the hotel, "If you should want anything, or need anything, don't hesitate to come see me. I will endeavour to make you, much as any guest, as comfortable as possible" the manager beamed.

I smiled down at the little man. "Okay, thank you" I stated, as I followed the manager back into the hotel. Just as we were about to part ways, a thought occurred to me, and I turned back towards the older man. "Actually… there is something I would like to ask you about…" I stated, earning the attention of the manager once more.

"Hmm…" the old man stated, turning to me.

"Where would you say is the best place to get a nice big meal in this town?" I grinned. The manager raised his eyebrows in seeming surprise at my question, before shrugging.

"There are many good and interesting restaurants in Hargeon and the surrounding area, so there are plenty to choose from" he stated, before giving me a more intrigued and questioning gaze, "What did you have in mind, perhaps your choice of food-type or atmosphere would help me to guide you to the ideal location…" the man added.

I smirked at him. "Well… it's kinda complicated…" I began, before I explained exactly wat I had in mind, whilst leaving out a few choice details about my plans.

After a few minutes of discussion, the manager gave me a number of options, and then I returned to mine and Natsu's shared room. As I re-entered, I was greeted by the pinkette, clad only in his underwear. "Hey Sting, what took you so long?" he questioned me, with a slight smirk on his features as he noticed I had become marginally distracted by his current state of clothing (or lack thereof).

I shook my head in order to focus again, my grin remaining firmly fixed onto my face. "Oh, I was just talking to the manager. He said we could use his beach house for the rest of today and tomorrow, so after I've had a shower you might wanna get changed, and then we can move our stuff over there" I explained. Natsu nodded in understanding.

"Alright, I'll get changed and grab my stuff together" he smiled, "Then, how about we get some quality sun tanning time?" he added with a slightly lewd grin. I nodded.

"Sound's good" I stated, before heading off into the bathroom to have a shower. As I stripped off my trunks, an interesting thought occurred to me. _I only just told Natsu and he's already making jokes… he's having a little too much fun with this, isn't he?_ I mused.

As the water began to flow over my body, I shrugged off the thoughts. "It doesn't matter, so long as he's only cracking jokes and not throwing insults I don't really care" I stated, "I mean… I get to go on a date with him, so I don't think there's _anything_ that could really upset me right now" I chuckled.

As I stepped out of the water, I recovered my trunks and tried to wash them out with the shower nozzle so that there wasn't any more sand in them. Once they were sand-free, I went back into the main room, where Natsu had helpfully packed both of mine and his stuff.

"Ready to go?" he asked me. I nodded cheerfully in response.

"Yep. Let's go have some fun" I replied. Natsu laughed.

"Let's go have some fun _together_ you mean" he mused. I blushed.

"Shut up…" I pouted, which just made Natsu laugh all the more. _Damn it, if he can make me feel embarrassed like this when we're just friends… what'll he be able to do to me if we take it further?_ The thought filled me with intrigued questions, as well as a number of inappropriate thoughts.

 _Slow down, I shouldn't get ahead of myself. One step at a time_ … _date first… that kind of stuff can come later… maybe…_

/

 **Beach House, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

We stood at the door to the larger building, our stuff slung in backpacks over our shoulders. Sting held the key that the manager had given him in his hand, a bright smile on his features. Looking to me the blond-haired Dragon Slayer grinned. "So, shall I unlock the door?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"Only if you wanna put our stuff in there so we can get going to the beach" I replied with a cocky smirk. Sting huffed, before turning towards the door and pushing in the key. Once he unlocked the front door, he pushed on to view the inside of the building, I was not far behind him. "Woah… so big…" I breathed in amazement as I looked around the inside of our free accommodation.

"I know. It doesn't look so big from the outside, but inside it seems so much bigger" Sting commented, before he began to venture around the beach-front building. I followed him. Looking around, the entire building seemed to be on only one floor, with a large central space, in which a sofa area and kitchen area were set up. Leading on from the kitchen there seemed to be a large bedroom, with one king-sized bed, as well as an adjoining bathroom and shower. Normally I would have been a little surprised by such a large bed being shared between Sting and myself, however as the White Dragon Slayer had already warned me that we'd have to share a bed again, I was prepared. _Plus… it's not like I don't like sharing with him_ I thought with faint affection.

"Hey Natsu, look through here" Sting called out to me from back at the centralised space. I wandered back the way I had just came, depositing my back-pack onto one of the sofas as I did so.

"What ya found, Sting?" I questioned the blond as I tried to figure out where exactly the White Dragon Slayer had vanished off to. Suddenly Sting's head poked out from behind another corridor leading to the back of the house.

"Over here, I think you'll be interested in this" he said, with a happy smile on his face. I followed the grinning blond to the back part of the house, where the corridor, split into two rooms and a door that lead to the outside veranda. "That way leads outside. There's a couple of steps down to the beach, so we don't need to go all the way back down to the hotel to go on the beach" Sting informed me, before he gestured to the two doors opposite each other, "These, however, lead to an indoor hot tub, as well as a private sauna" he stated.

I looked to the two doors for a moment, before raising my eyebrows. "Really?" I asked, in mock suspicion.

Sting nodded. "Yeah, really. The manager was telling me about them before. We're free to use 'em if we want too. I don't know if you go for that kind of stuff, but… I just thought it was something worth pointing out" Sting said. The White Dragon Slayer looked to me with an intriguing expression on his face. _He really wants to make me happy, doesn't he?_ I thought for a moment, as the scent of attraction seemed to rise off of Sting's person once again.

I decided to shrug and smile at Sting. "Yeah, I don't mind that kind of stuff, although it's not like I find the water or steam all that hot" I stated. Sting nodded.

"Okay, it was just an idea" he stated, "Anyways, did you see the bedroom?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, one bed just like you said" I informed him.

Sting nodded. "I'm sorry we have to keep sharing like this… I know it's probably pretty weird for you, what with me being… well, gay…" he stated.

I sighed. "Again Sting, I said that I'm okay with it. I trust you wouldn't do anything to me anyways, and well… hey, wait a minute…" a thought occurred to me, that hadn't when we were speaking earlier. Sting seemed confused by my sudden stopping.

"What's wrong Natsu?" he asked, with a worried tone of voice. I looked to him for a moment, before speaking.

"Well, I just thought" I began, "This morning… I errr… heard you masturbating in the shower, remember?" Sting nodded weakly, as his face went beet red. This immediately confirmed my suspicions before I could even voice them. _That pervy little…_

"Yeah… N-natsu…" Sting mumbled. I smirked lewdly.

"You know what I'm gonna ask, right?" I stated to the White Dragon Slayer, who again nodded weakly. "So… were you… um… _thinking about me_ , then?" I asked. Sting buried his face in his hands; a clear confession ready.

"M-maybe…" he whispered embarrassedly. "But… well…" he looked up to me, "I couldn't help it. I was just…" he suddenly looked a little worried, "I was just… so close… to you…" he trailed off, averting my gaze as he did so. I couldn't help but smile at his completely out-of-character embarrassment. _Maybe he thinks this'll put me off sleeping in the same room as him?_ I wondered. _However, I don't think he understood what I was referring to earlier when I said that_ I _had been thinking about him in the shower…_ I mused.

With a smirk on my face, I moved to hold Sting's shoulder, hoping that the White Dragon Slayer would raise his head some too. "It's alright" I stated in as calm a tone as I could muster, "I don't blame you… you had a lot of stuff to put up with, especially _me_. Although, could you perhaps not do it whilst we're in _this_ place?" I asked, trying not to giggle just yet.

Sting turned his head upwards to look at me. "Okay" he agreed. I nodded.

"Good" I stated, before grinning, "Besides, it's not like I could blame you, given how hot I am, and how I already did the same thing, like I said earlier" I added amusedly. Sting seemed surprised by this information for a moment. _So he really didn't realise that when I said I was thinking about him earlier…_ the realisation was quite funny I found.

After a brief moment, Sting seemed to recover himself, before smirking at me lewdly. "You jack ass, you made me actually feel guilty there for a second" he muttered, before tapping my side lightly in a friendly punch. I chuckled.

"I just couldn't help it, not when you were all cute and flushed" I laughed back at him, before removing my hand from his shoulder. Sting began chuckling.

"Well… at least I know you have no problems with your own self-confidence" he said, before he brushed past me. "Anyways, let's get ready. I wanna hit the beach soon, then we can _maybe_ spend some time in the little spa area here?" he looked to me over his shoulder for confirmation. I nodded vigorously.

"Sound's good, let's go" I beamed at him. He nodded.

"You already dropped your stuff off on the sofa, just let me do the same, then we can go, 'kay?" Sting shouted back to me, as I began opening the door to the veranda that would lead us out onto the privately-owned beach.

Looking out onto the blue, blue ocean, I breathed in deeply. "Ahhhh…" I sighed contently, as the salty smell of the sea water, mixed with the beautiful views before me, helped to relax me a little. "I didn't notice how nice this place is when I was working…" I mused, before Sting reappeared.

"You say something?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"Nothing important, now…" I looked him up and down, the white swimming trunks with black stripe up each leg from earlier still on his person. And nothing else. "You ready to go?" I asked him with a wicked smirk.

Sting smirked back. "We're checking each other out now, are we?" he mused, "That was fast".

I shrugged. "Have you met me, I'm not really one for waiting" I laughed, before beginning my descent down the stairs towards the beach. I heard Sting coming up quickly behind me.

"Does that mean I can skip ahead a little to something more _fun_ , after our date?" he whispered. I stopped and blushed.

 _Damn it, cocky bastard!_ I turned to look at him, a smile on my face as I tried to hide my slight blush. "Maaaaaybe… depends on how good the date is first" I replied, earning a smirk right back from Sting.

"So that's not a no" he stated, "Interesting…"

I didn't bother replying to that second statement, as I decided that getting to the beach would be better. _Especially since if this keeps going on its not just my hair that'll be pink_ I thought with faint embarrassment at the effect the White Dragon Slayer was having on me.

/

 **Meanwhile,**

 **General Perspective**

Natsu and Sting lay on the sand, their bodies close to each other, each with a big grin on their faces. It was enough to make her sick.

"Look at that stupid Dragon Slayer, and his _boyfriend_ next to him" Lynn scoffed, watching the pair from a distance as she failed to enjoy the remainder of her day off. "I mean, how _dare_ that pink haired fool pick some _guy_ over _me_. And what the hell did I do to piss off that blond bastard anyways, I was only doing what was _natural_ " she added to herself, as she bobbed up and down in the waves a little distance away.

"Is there an issue, m'lady?" a voice rang out from somewhere close by to the blonde Water Mage. Turning to look for a source, a new arrival caught her attention.

"I was just… it's none of your business actually" Lynn replied, "Although… if you're looking for something fun to do…" she pursed her lips in a way she thought would be seductive. The new arrival, a young man with dark black hair, shook his head.

"There's no use trying your tricks on me" he mused, "However, from what I could overhear, you appear to have an issue with those two fine young gentlemen over there" he added after a moment, before gesturing quickly with one arm towards the beach area where Natsu and Sting lay.

Lynn narrowed her eyes at the floating man. "How much did you hear?" she questioned him. He smirked wickedly.

"Enough to know I _may_ be of some help to you" he replied, earning an intrigued look from Lynn.

"Help how?" she questioned, although the man did not answer right away. "Speak quickly, or I may just use my Water Magic to take out my frustrations on _you_ instead" she added with a venomous tone.

The man practically grinned at this threat. "Well that _would_ be interesting, however… I think someone such as yourself might be a might bit more interested in _revenge_ perhaps?" he chuckled.

Lynn smiled at this man. "Whatever do you have in mind, my cunning new friend?" she asked. The man's whole face shone with wickedness.

Then he began to explain his particular role to the Chief of Hotel Staff, who grew more and more interested with every word. After their exchange was finished, almost no one would have noticed the sudden disappearance of the blonde Water Mage for the remainder of that day. Nor would they notice the cut wound on her hand the following day when she returned to work. By then of course, it was too late, although Natsu and Sting were none the wiser.

Yet.

 **End of Chapter 10**

 **Chapter Hint; About You**


	11. Chapter 11 - About You

Chapter 11 – About You

 **Hargeon Town, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, at night,**

 **General Perspective**

The town lay quiet, under a sleepy blanket of darkness and twilight. A hooded figure darted between street shadows, their face obscured to any onlookers or night-time revellers that they may pass. After making their way through the darkness, the figure arrived at the intended place; a particularly seed-looking bar on the outskirts of the port town. "Dis place?" the figure questioned, as they looked up at the sign. "I 'pose it's appropriate" the shrugged, before entering the tavern.

If the figure at all thought that the outside streets were dark, then they would most definitely think of this place as an abyss, in all senses of the word. The bar held very few people, just a few faceless patrons who all wore masks of despair, along with the odd gruff-faced mercenary who was quietly waiting out for their next job. The figure didn't pay too much attention to these people, as they made their way to the bartender. "I'm 'ere fer the… _job_ " he stated. The bartender looked the figure up and down, before shrugging.

"Upstairs, to the right" he stated, before moving off to deal with another dozy attendee.

The figure smiled wickedly as they moved up to the stairs, before ascending to the upper floor. As they reached the top, another figure approached them; a man with jet black hair. "You the guy I'm after?" the black-haired man asked with a falt and serious tone. The cloaked figure stopped in their tracks, before looking to the male.

"Whut if I am?" they replied. The black-haired man shrugged.

"You live" he said, before revealing the concealed sword that he held. The figured eyed the blade warily; he hadn't even seen the blade be drawn.

"Yer t' man I'm lookin' fer" the figured stated, before pulling back their hood to reveal their face. The black-haired man smiled.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance… _Captain_ " the black-haired man grinned, before replacing his weapon back in its sheath. "Now, I've got an interested party, a _lovely_ young woman, just in here. She'll explain exactly what we want you to do" the man added, before gesturing for the Captain to follow him.

The man did, however not without caution. After all, the man before was famed around the world twice over as the _second_ most accomplished assassin in the world. _Second only t' Zollzero_ the man thought, before he was ushered into a plain-looking side room. There he came face-to-face with a blonde beauty he never would've expected to see in a place like this.

"Captain Chumgore, meet my dearest, and _newest_ friend… Miss Lynn" the black-haired man stated in a formal tone, before his face became withdrawn and serious. "She is also the dear client for your next little job" he added.

Lynn sneered at the newcomer Captain. "So, you're the assassin then?" she stated, "You look like nothing more than a common thug".

Captain Chumgore smirked viciously; he could already see why his employer had selected this woman. "I'm yer assassin" he confirmed, "An' say that again, an' I'll _personally_ give yer a demonstration o' my pow'r" the Captain added with an angry snort. Lynn smiled at this.

"Why, I believe you will indeed be _perfect_ for this job. Now… as for the job, there's a couple of young men I would like you to deal with. One of these two in particular has annoyed me…" Lynn said, before she then began to explain the details of what she intended.

Even though the two men that were present were both seasoned veterans when it came to everything from torture to murder, the plan this woman had set up did seem to be in a class of its own.

And in its own twisted way, it easily satisfied and even impressed these two assassins. Although in the end, they both knew there would be more than two corpses involved in this whole affair. Once the explanation was finished, and the blood-pact made between the three that sealed them to this job, they each went their own separate ways.

In the next twenty-four hours, they each had much preparation to complete, if they wanted their own personal goals to be completed.

/

 **Beach-side house, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, the next morning,**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I woke with a smile on my face. Natsu and I had spent much of yesterday laying around together, either on the sandy beach, or, sometime later in the evening, in the sauna area. Together. It was so perfect, each and every time he noticed my slight glances either on the beach or in the steamy room back in our loaned beach-house, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer would either smirk back at me, or make some amusing comment. _He seemed pretty comfortable with all this…_ I had thought at the time, although I was still somewhat afraid that the pinkette would end up rejecting it, and me, and then not want to spend any time with me again.

Despite my small reservations, I still lived in hope, and so long as I was with Natsu, I felt that I could not stop smiling. "Good Morning, Na…" I yawned out, as I stretched out and looked to my left where the pinkette had fallen asleep last night. It took my sleepy mind a moment to register the scene. "Er… where'd he go?" I mumbled as I took in the image of creased sheets folded back to reveal nothing beside me. In my experience working with the pinkette so far, I would almost always be the first one to wake up, since Natsu would seem to sleep all day given the chance, however for once he must have woken up before me.

Getting up and gathering up my clothes, I debated getting changed, however after a momentary pause, I figured that Natsu probably _hadn't_ left the building, so I wouldn't need to get changed. Yet.

"Hey, Natsu, you in here?" I called out as I prowled the building in search of the wayward pinkette. "Not here?" I voice aloud, as I could see no sign of him in the central sitting-kitchen area. As I moved around my nose twitched slightly. Picking up on the faint scent trail of the Dragon Slayer, I followed it straight to the door of the indoor hot tub area. "In here?" I muttered, before a smile passed over my face. "But I thought he said he wasn't all that bothered about these… let's see if he's still in there…" I whispered to myself, at a volume I suspected would be inaudible to the other Dragon Slayer.

After a few seconds of waiting, I decided to just open the door and burst in; it's not like Natsu wouldn't have done the same thing, right?

"Good Morning, Naaa… what the hell!" I barked, as I boldly stampeded into the room, only to be met by a Dragon Slayer whose face was as pink as his hair.

"Oh… hiya… S-Sting…" Natsu gulped at me, "Wh-hen did y-you wake up?" he added with a faintly unsure smile. I frowned at him.

"I woke up pretty happy and smiley a couple of minutes ago" I commented, "However that was short lived when I find you're not there… and you're… in here. Are you naked?" I added after I suffered a sudden realisation. Sure, I had suspected Natsu to be doing _something_ when I walked in only a moment ago; that much was obvious from his facial expression, however now it only dawned on me what that 'something' could be.

"N-no… nothing's… alright, yes. I am naked" Natsu stammered, before giving up his failed attempt to lie to me. I raised an eyebrow at the pinkette, but did not speak. This seemed to prompt Natsu to explain himself. "Look… I know that I made of fun of you for it, but… well… I guess I couldn't manage to keep control of myself when I woke up this morning. It didn't help that you were so close to me you were practically _spooning_ me, so I decided to try and deal with this as discretely as possible" the Fire Dragon Slayer explained to me, before looking expectantly in my direction, clearly trying to gauge my response. I tried my very hardest to look like I was going to ridicule him, however I could only manage to keep up my pouty face for a couple of seconds, before I fell about laughing.

"So, you came in here where you though I wouldn't be able to find you as quickly" I mused, "Interesting, however… I was spooning you, really?" I found I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed at the notion of my unconscious self, trying to be as close to the other male as possible. _Probably trying to act on whatever it was that I was dreaming about…_ I thought to myself.

Natsu seemed to be smiling to me now, after the initial shock of embarrassment wore off. "Sting, you were _really,_ _really close_ to me. It took a couple of attempts just to get out of bed without knocking you and accidentally waking you up" Natsu mused, before he looked me up and down. After a couple of seconds of quiet, I suddenly became self-conscious from the Fire Dragon's gaze.

"Well… er… I guess I should leave you…" I mumbled, before trying to exit. Before I could get very far, however, Natsu called out to me.

"If you want, I could try taking a cold shower… then how about we go get some breakfast. We're still allowed into the hotel for that right?" he asked me. I stopped my retreat momentarily to answer the pinkette's query.

"Yeah, we should be fine to get breakfast there… I think the manager said that, anyways" I answered, "however… if you wanna finish you can. I'll just be taking a shower whilst you do" I stated. Natsu smirked lewdly at me.

"Nah, I'm done here. Plus, there's no way I'm just letting you go sneak over to the shower to jack off whilst I'm stuck in here. Especially when you're grinnin' so smugly" Natsu stated, before motioning to reach for a nearby towel.

"I'll leave you to get out then. I guess neither of us should do _that_ right now, eh?" I mused. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah… 'specially when you're gonna be taking me out tonight. I don't want to be seen going out with a guy who I _know_ masturbated in the next room over to where we _both_ sleep" the pinkette stated. I shrugged.

"Hey, say what you like, however just remember; I wasn't the one who had to touch themselves this morning" I chimed, before turning and leaving the room. As I left I heard Natsu mutter something.

"Smug bastard…" he said, shortly followed by a much quieter, "But he is fucking _hot_ when he's smug like that",

 _Well… someone seems more interested in all this than they let on_ I thought, as I collected up my clothes once more, this time getting changed ready to have breakfast with my biggest, and most perfect, crush.

/

We had breakfast back at the hotel. The manager seemed to be more than accommodating, despite the fact that we were neither paying customers, nor working Mages at that moment in time, and he did his best to try to make us feel welcome. After a decent meal, Natsu and I decided to explore town a little. I wanted to try to get a gauge on what made Natsu tick in more detail, in particular his likes and dislikes towards various places that I would suggest, as well as the different activities we saw.

"How about that place, it looks cool?" Natsu voiced as we walked through a street that held nothing but cheap restaurants and more typical tourist-type stalls. I rolled my eyes.

"That place does seem nice Natsu, but it's kinda… I don't know, cheap?" I suggested as the pinkette pointed out another place that I felt was unsatisfactory. We had currently only been looking around for about half an hour, and in that time the Fire Dragon Slayer had excitedly pointed out just about every low-key, or cheap-looking place possible. _I suppose it shouldn't surprise me, though… I guess I did say for him to pick out anything he likes. Although, it does make me wonder what he thinks a date is_ I thought as we continued to stroll through the streets. After a little more walking, Natsu and I realised we were getting bored, and decided to head back to the beach-side place that we currently had on loan.

On the way, I noticed a fantastic little bakery place, and stopped in for a moment, to procure us a couple of snacks. Natsu waited outside, intrigued more by the colourful collections of food on the various stalls in the market area where we currently were walking. After a few minutes, I returned outside with a bag of sweet treats.

"What'd you buy?" Natsu asked me as we continued to walk back. I smiled.

"Here, take one" I replied, opening the bag and gesturing for Natsu to reach inside. Natsu did so, and pulled out one of the sweet contents.

"What are these? Food?" Natsu questioned me, as he looked the little snack I had just bought. I nodded.

"Yeah, they're called Palmier" I stated knowledgeably. "They're like these little pastry things. These ones are sweet. There's a place near Sabertooth that's my favourite café in the whole town, and they make these. When I saw, that place made them I just had to buy a couple" I added with a faint smile. Natsu smirked at me.

"So… can I eat it?" he asked me after a moment. I nodded.

"Yeah, why'd you think I bought them?" I replied with an amused tone. "Originally, I asked for two, but the girl at the counter recognised me and slipped a couple extra, so we can have two each" I chuckled, as Natsu continued looking down to the pastry treat. After a moment he smiled broadly, before scoffing the whole thing at record speed.

"Mmm… so good…" he drooled, "They're so sweet and delicious… I love them!" he added, before smiling brightly at me. His show of happiness made a slight twitchy feeling rise in my heart, one that had been occurring with increasing frequency since I admitted to Natsu that I had feelings for him. _It's definitely his smile I love most_ I thought to myself.

"They're great" I nodded to the pinkette. "Here, you can have the other one if you want" I stated, as I opened the bag and offered it to Natsu once again. Natsu looked to me and shook his head. _He's NOT accepting food; didn't he just say he liked them though?_ I thought with sudden surprise.

"You should have yours first, I'd feel bad if I ate all mine first" he said. I smiled at his words, however they did leave me confused. _I've seen him shove food down at record speed before, but I've never seen him wait for somebody else first… is it just because it's me? Or is he wanting to see my reaction to these too?_ The questions left me more than a little suspicious of Natsu's motives.

Shrugging I took one of the sweet treats for myself, and bit into it. Sure, enough it was as delicious and as sweet as Natsu had said. "Yeah, these really are the best" I beamed. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah" he agreed. I finished my own Palmier, before looking back to Natsu.

"Um… Natsu… do you not want your second one… or…" I trailed off to try to coax the pinkette into answering. Natsu just chuckled.

"Can we save it for when we get to the beach house?" he asked me. I frowned but nodded.

"Sure… but why'd you want to wait until-" I stopped mid-sentence as Natsu slid closer to me, and whispered in my ear.

"Don't react, but there's a guy who's been following us since we left the hotel. It's not just a coincidence, since he stopped just outside the bakery before" Natsu whispered to me, "I don't know what he's up to but…" the pinkette trailed off as he began to pull away. I glanced sideways at him, before nodding slightly.

We walked the rest of the way to the house in silence, neither of us making a move just in case there was more than _one_ person following.

/

Once we were inside the house, I slid down into the comfortable sofa, Natsu standing in front of me. "Sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I wasn't sure if he was following us until we got to the bakery" he said. I shook my head.

"It's fine, although… why would he be following us?" I questioned aloud, more to myself than to Natsu in particular. The pinkette just shrugged.

"I don't know… maybe it has something to do with the Zollzero's or something?" Natsu offered. I shrugged.

"Maybe…" I wasn't so sure. "It could be to do with our job at their restaurant, maybe these guys are friends of those thugs or something?" I questioned. Natsu shrugged and cocked his head.

"If that's the case why didn't they react sooner, we've been on a couple of jobs since then" he stated. I sighed.

"I don't know, however… argh… if there are people around causing trouble do you not think it'll be hard for us to, you know, go on a date later?" I asked. Natsu seemed surprised by my sudden question. He didn't speak for a long minute, before coming to sit next to me.

"If they even _try_ to ruin anything tonight, you can be sure I'll make 'em pay, alright… so don't worry" he stated, before resting a hand comfortingly on my shoulder. I smirked back at him; at that very moment, the confidence in his eyes was glaring, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss him. _But then I wouldn't be able to have my first kiss on our first date_ I thought to myself as I suppressed those urges.

"Okay, I suppose it would be fitting for us to beat the crap outta bad guys on a date… so long as we did it together" I mused. Natsu chuckled at my suggestion.

"Hey, don't get any ideas, I want this to be a proper date, at a restaurant or something, not at some brawl" he stated with a mock pout. I laughed right back at Natsu.

"You sure about that?" I replied, "Because your choices of venue didn't… _inspire_ me with a lot of confidence that you even know what a date is" I added. This made Natsu's mock pout become a real pout of annoyance.

"I know what a date is!" he defended, "Anyways, all of your choices were waaaay too expensive" he added with a slightly mocking tone. I shrugged.

"Yeah, but you seem to like my choices of food though" I retorted, before holding up the remaining bag of sweet treats to emphasise my point. Natsu's eyes lit up at the display of food.

"Oh right, those… can I have the other one now?" he asked. I smiled and chuckled.

"Only if you promise me one thing" I stated coyly.

The pinkette furrowed his brows. "Promise what?" he asked in a suspicious-yet-confused tone.

"That no matter what ends up happening tonight, you aren't gonna kiss me until the end of our date, okay?" I stated. Natsu nodded excitedly at this proposal.

"Deal" he agreed hastily, "Now, can I _please_ have that pastry thing?" he added, with a voice that sounded oh-so-much like a spoiled child. I couldn't resist giving him what he wanted and handed over the bag.

"Here, you can have my one too…" I stated, before getting up and heading towards the bedroom.

"Really?!" Natsu exclaimed in surprise. I nodded.

"Yeah, whilst you eat those I'm gonna get changed. Then we can head down to the beach again" I called out.

I heard no complaint from Natsu, only the rapid opening of the bag, and the sounds of happy munching from the pinkette. _Hmph… he can't complain that he doesn't like my choices…_ I thought smugly, _however… maybe I should take Natsu's ideas into consideration… perhaps take him to a low-key restaurant that's not too bad, but not too expensive?_

The thought process that my mind followed in planning this date was perhaps even more taxing than any that I had to follow in my role as Guild Master of Sabertooth. _Man… planning stuff like this is harder than I thought_ I complained internally.

/

 **Beach, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

The time at the beach was somewhat relaxing. At first, Sting and I had been on edge, carefully watching out for the guy that had been following us previously, each of us ready to spring into action should the need arise. Luckily, however, nothing happened, and as the day wore on, no sight of the guy had been made, which allowed me and Sting to relax again. At around noon, the White Dragon Slayer called me over to return to the house for a moment, before explaining that he wanted to head off into town alone, in order to make the necessary preparations for our date. Initially I had been concerned about Sting heading off on his lonesome, however, as he reassured me, he is quite capable of taking care of himself. "I _am_ the White _Dragon Slayer_ " he had argued, before showering and changing into his more usual attire.

"I'll be back in an hour or so, so don't worry. You can hang out here, go to the beach, or the hotel, I don't mind. However, please don't wander off Natsu, I don't wanna have to go running around town looking for you, okay?" he added as he headed out the door. I smiled and nodded.

"Okay" I agreed, "See you soon".

Sting smirked at me. "Oh, and whilst I'm gone… please don't do anything too… _messy_ ; like I said this morning, I don't want to go out on a date with a guy that I know was, well… you know, right before we leave. Okay?" he laughed, before leaving too quick for me to respond.

As the White Dragon Slayer walked merrily on his way, I was left pouting. "Hmph… I should do it just to spite him after he acts all cocky like that" I sulked momentarily, before I broke out into a huge grin, "Although perhaps… this might give me some to prepare a few things whilst he's away" I said to myself, before I began to put my own plans into action, heading into the bedroom to prepare one of a number of surprises that I had thought of giving to Sting since he admitted to me the night before about his _feelings_.

"I just hope he likes 'em…" I voiced aloud, "I mean, I didn't really have much time when he was in the bakery to be too choosey, however… I think he will, I mean… I hope he will…" my worries rose temporarily, a rare thing for me to experience.

 _Do I really care so much about his opinion? We haven't even been on our date yet and I already feel like I'm getting too attached…_ I thought. I shook my head in disagreement with this idea. _No, I'm just getting anxious over getting to be with him. I know I said that I wasn't sure how I felt, however I think I'm pretty damn sure that I know I like him… at least a little…_ I decided, before placing the small trinket I had bought back into its box and hiding it in the table drawer next to my side of the bed.

With a nod to myself, I quickly undressed and then headed into the shower, before redressing and then heading towards the back, intent on going out onto the warm sands to enjoy some additional sun-bathing time.

In that short period within the house however, I did feel like something was off. _Probably just jumpy after that stalker guy…_ I shrugged, as I felt as if I was being watched, _I'm alone in here, Sting is gone, so there's nothing to be afraid of_ I thought to myself. As I headed out, however, I immediately noticed that something really _was_ off about the beach-front property; the house was _cold_ , almost unnaturally cold.

"What the-" I barked, standing on the veranda with the stairs going down to the beach. The feeling of having hit a wall of heat as I left the building was what first signalled me to this odd occurrence. As I turned to look back at the house, that was the first time I noticed the additional figure, standing quietly and contently in the hallway, grinning at me like a madman. "Who are you!" I growled instantly, my body tense and ready to strike instantly. The man laughed.

"Hmm… you only notice it now when you try to leave… interesting" he mumbled, before shooting me a wicked smile. "Regardless, you'll know who I am soon enough…probably…" he chuckled, before I felt a sudden weight on the inside of my head, "But first, that sleep drug you just breathed in will knock you out in three, two-"

Everything went black before he could even reach one.

/

 **Beach House, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I returned from my little errand in the short time of forty minutes. "That didn't take nearly as long as I expected" I smiled to myself as I bounded down the street back towards the beach. "I wonder if Natsu decided to go out… if he did maybe I can hide the stuff I just bought in our room, or at least somewhere he won't find it" I added as my plan for our date came together nicely inside my head.

As I approached the doorway to the building that the manager rented to us for free, everything seemed quiet. Smiling to myself I gave a knock at the door. No reply. _Hm… seems Natsu went out. Guess I'll have to go search for him in a minute. But first I'll hide this_ I thought to myself, before I moved to unlock and open the front door of the house. "That's weird… I'm sure I locked this" I voiced as I realised the front door to the building was already unlocked. Shrugging I moved to open the door. "Maybe Natsu forgot to lock up before he headed out. He's probably gone down to the hotel for something" I stated, before I pushed the door wide.

No soon did I do so, was I hit by the very unnatural feel to the house. "Something's not right here…" I muttered lowly, before I felt my whole body tense up. As I moved into the building I was first struck by the very cold air that seemed to permeate the entire building. Sniffing I could catch small scents of something else laden in the house. "A drug?" I mumbled, "This can't be good… hey Natsu, you in here!" I barked loudly. There was no answer.

"Not here…" I muttered, As I continued through the house, I found that the door to the veranda was left open. "Did Natsu try to escape someone? Or did they break in through the back?" there was far too little evidence for me to accurately gauge what had happened. As I continued my prowling about, I began to notice that my movements were becoming sluggish. With wide-eyed realisation, I bolted for the back door, quickly descending half-way down the steps to the beach, just to ensure I was as far away as possible from the house. "That was close… that gas stuff must be a sleeping drug or something" I voiced, more to try to keep myself awake, than to confirm or question anything.

"Gotta do something too… I can't go back through that house again. The person who left that stuff, and the person who has clearly taken Natsu, might try to come back and get me too. I should probably tell the hotel manager, he'll be able to help" I decided aloud, before looking down towards the beach. "I'll walk to the hotel through the beach, that way I won't breathe any more of that stuff in" I added.

Heading down towards the beach and across the sand was harder than I thought possible; the drug in my system seemed to make my muscles turn to mush, and it was hard just to place one foot in front of the other. Somehow, however, I managed to move forwards, and soon the hotel that Natsu and I had helped only one day prior lay in sight. "Almost… there" I sighed, relieved that nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, things did not stay so positive. Looking around the normally-busy beach, I noticed a significant lack of people, however as I neared the hotel building, two figures came into view; one a much unwelcome sight. "What are you two doing here?" I questioned venomously at the woman who only yesterday had earned all of my scorn over such a, quite honestly, trivial matter.

Lynn smirked back at me. "You tried to get here by the sea, clever boy" she stated, "However… this is as far as you go".

I glared at her, before looking to her companion. He was a rather intimidating figure, tall and muscular, with tattered looking clothing and a scarred face that just screamed trouble. He seemed to be watching carefully, clearly very well-trained in the art of patient attack. _An assassin_ I thought warily to myself, before my gaze returned to Lynn. "What do you want? I assume you're the ones behind Natsu's disappearance" I stated flatly, my tone leaving no room for debate.

The woman, Lynn, laughed. "Of course, we are, you fool. Now… would you be so kind as to come along with us, your friend will be there when you arrive" Lynn stated, gesturing for me to accompany her and this stranger.

I snorted derisively at her. "Like I'd ever go with you, you sea-witch" I barked, "Now gimme Natsu back, and he better be unharmed" I added with a cocky attitude. Despite my show of bravado, I could tell already that it was unlikely this fight would be easy, especially given my weakened position. Lynn just stood smiling at me for a moment, before sighing.

"You don't make this easy, do you?" she complained at me, before crossing her arms. "The pink-haired boy was so much more… obedient, although that may have been the drugs affects" she chuckled to herself. I scowled at her.

"What have you done with Natsu?" I demanded forcefully.

"Nothing… yet… although perhaps in time I will do _something_ … but don't worry, he won't find it unpleasant, in fact… it might even be _pleasurable_ " Lynn smiled. I immediately started growling at her, my possessive Dragon Slayer instincts kicking in.

"Don't you even _dare_ … no one will have Natsu… _no one_ " I snarled menacingly, white light enveloping my fists.

"Oh, does the little lizard think he can defend his boyfriend… you really do sicken me. I'm done playing with you, all I want is to have a little fun with that delectable pink-haired hottie, yet you still insist on this all being about you two. How unfair. No one, not one man who I have had my eye on has _ever_ rejected me, I won't allow you and your little friend to make a mockery of my perfect record" Lynn stated, before narrowing her eyes at me.

I smirked. "So, you hired some tough guy to help you keep being the slut you are, how pathetic. You're nothing more than a sex-obsessed bitch!" I remarked, before readying myself for a fight, "Now quit talking and get fighting" I added, before readying a large amount of magic energy; if I was to have any chance in this fight I knew I'd have to use a pretty powerful spell right off the bat and take out the big guy. Lynn responded to my open threat however, by looking to her partner.

"Dear captain" she chirped in a sickly, sing-song voice, "this fool is trying to make a mockery of me again it seems. And you two, since he still seems to think he has a chance of winning. Deal with him, but keep him alive… 'kay?" she stated, before patting the muscular man's shoulder.

The 'captain' smiled at her request. "I haf to agree wit' yer there, missy… this idiot does seem t' think he can win 'gainst me" the man stated, before raising his arms. "Well then lad, let's see what ya can do" he added. I smirked.

"Fine then, White Drag-"

"Too slow. Dark Poison; Hypnos" the 'captain' called out, before pulling forth a small bag of powder and throwing it in the air. The substance shimmered an eerie purple for a moment, before a cloud of foul-tasting violet gas erupted forth, completely enveloping the space in which I was standing and sending me into a dizzying coughing fit. "Heh, tha' potion'll sap you o- yer magic power… mix it wit' t' one already in yer system an' there's no way you'll be able to resist us now" the man bellowed loudly as his stomach rumbled with laughter. As I fell to my hands and knees, my chest tight and burning with the effects of this man's magic, Lynn came to stand over me and sneer.

"Look like you're not so tough now, eh… Master Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth… I'm sure your guild'll pay a pretty penny for you, and whilst we wait for your ransom jewel, I think I'll enjoy having you tied up, watching desperately as I claim your dear friend" the Water Mage stated. I snapped my head up to look at her.

"Don't… you… dare!" I panted, trying to conjure up some light with which to strike her. _If I can only land one blow…_ unfortunately, all I was able to do was stand there panting, as my magic was slowly sapped from me.

Once I reached critically low levels, I went light-headed, and then, in my dizzy, magic-deprived state, I was hauled off by the madman assassin, and his bitch of an employer.

Little did I know, however, that like Natsu and me, these two were also part of a greater game that was being played.

And it was being played with many, many sacrificial pawns.

 **End of Chapter 11**

 **Chapter Hint; Cuts and Bruises (aka. Kiss It Better)**


	12. Chapter 12 - Cuts and Bruises

**Chapter 12 – Cuts and Bruises (aka. Kiss it Better)**

 **Hargeon Town, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I was dragged through town by the muscular assassin identified as the 'Captain'. Despite it only being a little over midday the town was surprisingly empty, and as we walked, I noticed that the pair were not even taking many of the more discrete routes throughout town. This knowledge provided me with a little relief, as, despite my anger at my current predicament, I could still track the route we were taking so that _when_ I escaped I could tell people exactly where Natsu was being held. _That is assuming I escape this…_ a pessimistic voice in my head chimed in unwantedly.

"Allllmost there, Sting" a sickly-sweet voice chirped up from somewhere over the other side of the man who was carrying me.

"Mmn…" I grunted back, my body somewhat fuzzy from the effect of the assassin's poisonous magic.

"What was that? Oh, you must be oh-so-happy to be seeing Natsu again, right?" Lynn smirked at me. I growled at her.

"Don't… y'dare… touch hi-m…" I breathed in as menacing a way as I could.

Lynn laughed. "And what are you going to do? Attack me?" she chuckled, before a grunt from the assassin sounded out.

"Ya should learn teh be mor' quiet, woman" he stated in a gruff voice, "Say too much, an' it might push me over t' edge. Then I'll have teh kill yer" the male added, with a more matter-of-fact tone than a threatening one. Lynn pouted.

"You should learn to be more fun" she stated, before proceeding to follow his directive and cease her 'idle chatter'. After a few more minutes of walking we arrived at a street of run-down and bleak-looking buildings. The pair hauled me up to a house much like any other in the street, before dragging me inside with slight smirks on their faces.

Once inside I was quickly brought to a room. It was shabby, with no particular furnishings, save a single chair to which I was tied. "Now we'll leave you here" Lynn stated to me, as she and the Captain left the room. I glared at them both as they disappeared from view, leaving me along in this room, separated from the pink-haired Dragon Slayer I had come to love.

"Go die, bitch" I barked, the weariness to my body lifting as I recovered from the effects of toxic gases in my system.

"I hope that wasn't directed at me" a silky-smooth voice stated from somewhere in the room. I stared around in shock, before the owner of the voice appeared within my field of view. _Where did he come from? I didn't notice him when I came in, and there's no way in or out save the door in front…_ this person was clearly someone with some probably quite nasty tricks.

"Who are you?" I questioned him. The owner of the voice smiled, before he combed fingers through his black locks, smoothing them back.

"Hmph, it's nice they got me such a good hostage" he stated, with a cocky and confident tone of voice, "Master Eucliffe, _Sting_ Eucliffe. The Master of the Sabertooth guild, former number one guild in Fiore. A pleasure to make your acquaintance" I scowled at him.

"It'd be a better pleasure if you let me go, then I could _really show my appreciation_ " I replied, in as venomous a tone as I could muster. This made the black-haired male laugh.

"I see you've got a lot of bark, that's good. It'll make it even more satisfying when I _force_ the Zollzero's to pay your ransom. Piece by piece" the man chuckled. I raised an eyebrow. _He has connections to the Zollzero's? Wait, I should probably try not to ask him directly, he keeps avoiding each question I send his way_ I thought.

"Where's Natsu?" I demanded, giving as much of an emphasis on the threat in my voice as I could.

The man shrugged. "Hmm… I wonder, he could be next door, on the next floor up, or even in the basement" he mused, before narrowing his eyes at me, "However it doesn't really matter, since there's no way you're gonna get to him. Those magic-inhibiting ropes'll make sure of that" the man stated with a confident nod. I frowned.

"I'll get free, just you wait and see" I stated, "Although, it's not really you who should be worried, since _when_ I get free, and _when_ I find Natsu, I'm gonna give Edric hell for suggesting this job to me in the first place" I grinned. The black-haired man smiled.

"Ah, I see you know the impudent punk, who likes to think himself some great Card Shark. It's good to know it is by his hand that you are delivered unto me" he stated with a wild-eyed smile that made me shiver internally. _What was with that sudden look of… madness…_ I thought. "Regardless, that's all only going to happen, _if_ you get back to the guild… which I think is not going to be likely. Now, if you'll excuse me I have another dear guest to entertain" he smiled, before moving to leave the room. I watched him leave without saying a word.

Once he was gone I allowed the breath I was holding to be let out. "Who the fuck was that?" I questioned to no-one in particular. After a moment of silence, I let out a sigh. "It doesn't really matter though, since I can't escape to find out anyways" I stated; despite my show of bravado towards the newcomer, inside I could feel the seeds of despair taking root. After all, I was taken without anyone knowing, without anyone seeing, and most importantly, by two, possibly three, very, _very_ powerful mages. That black-haired man in particular was clearly a very skilled wizard and assassin.

"I suppose… it's my fault though; I shouldn't have left Natsu alone" I stated, feeling a flicker of anger rise at my own uselessness, both in preventing Natsu's capture and my own.

As I sat tied to the chair, uncomfortable, full of despair, my nose picked up on a particular faint scent. "Mm… that's…" I sighed, "Natsu…" The smell made me even more depressed. "Natsu's close by and I still can't save him… argh!" I stamped my foot in anger.

Only then, in my anger, did I notice another faint scent; along with Natsu there was another person, that was neither the Black-Haired Man, the Captain, or the bitch Water Mage. It was a scent that brought me hope.

Sure enough, after a few seconds another figure entered the room, their body forming seemingly out of mist in the air.

I smiled to the newcomer gratefully. "It's you" I stated in a mixture of welcome-surprise and slight doubt. The 'saviour' however, just ran up to me and undid my bonds, not saying a word. At least until I was free to move.

 _I'm saved… now to undo my stupid decision to leave and save Natsu!_ I thought as I felt the ropes go slack around me. Looking to the other person I smiled.

She smiled back. "You can save your thanks for later, we need to get outta here quick" Coral stated in a matter of fact tone.

/

 **Unknown Hideout, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **General Perspective**

"So, what are you doing here?" Sting asked Coral as the brunette Water Mage use a small amount of water to cut through his magic-suppressing bonds.

"Well… I kinda of followed them when they took you" Coral explained, "You see I suspected something was up with Lynn, since it's very rare that she would just wander of all day. So, I kept an eye on her. When she disappeared some time near midday, I used the excuse that I needed to put the bins out in order to observe where she went. That was when I saw her… and that man… then I saw you and you looked like you were in pain. When you got beat down, I followed them, since I knew I couldn't take 'em on directly" Coral added. Sting nodded in understanding.

"That was a good decision. Thanks for that, it's good to know you're on our side" the blond Guildmaster said with a happy smile. Coral smirked brightly.

"I always liked the idea of being in a guild, however I never wanted to leave this town, where I grew up, so I just used to idolise guilds from afar. I guess… this is just me trying to act like all those heroes I hear about from the guilds. Like you, or Natsu…" Coral said, before looking over her shoulder. "However, we can talk more about this later, once we get out of here. That man, the one who was in here before… he was strong, and I don't want to run into him, or the others" the Water Mage said warily.

Despite his prior upbeat demeanour, Sting shook his head instantly at the idea of leaving. "I won't leave, not yet. Natsu's still here and there's no way in hell that I'm leaving him with that… _woman_ " the White Dragon Slayer stated bitterly. Coral looked worriedly towards the blond.

"But, I don't think I'll be much help if we... run into them…" the brunette stammered. Sting smiled.

"Don't worry, if it comes to it _I'll_ be the one to fight. I just want you to promise me that you'll be able to get Natsu out to safety" Sting stated. Coral still seemed unsure.

"I… should…" the woman began. Sting laughed.

"And you should have more confidence in yourself. Although yes that Black-haired guy seems strong, the other one… that _Captain…_ I think you'd be quite a good help in a fight with him" the blond stated. Coral gave a look of surprise at this comment.

"What, really?" she gaped in surprise. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, I mean… you're a Water Mage, right?" she nodded, "Well then, don't ya think that you could wash away that guy's poisonous spells?" he winked. Coral gave another look of surprise at this idea, however this was more a look of realisation rather than her previous look of confusion.

"Yeah, you're right… that guys magic did seem to rely on those poisonous gases, which I should have no problem at removing so long as I use my water to drench them… that way all those toxic substance will be dissolved before they can be used" Coral nodded, before giving Sting a more confident smile. "Okay, yeah… let's go find Natsu then" she agreed. Sting give Coral a wide beaming grin.

"Yeah, come on then. Like you said we don't wanna run into that Black-haired guy" Sting nodded, before motioning for them to leave, however Coral stopped him.

"Wait, do you know where Natsu even is?" she asked. Sting turned around and nodded.

"Nope, but I can smell him, so he must be close. Just let me track him down with my nose then we can save him and escape" Sting reasoned. Coral sighed.

"Alright then… however, before we go can I ask one last thing?" she said, Sting cocked his head in question. "Do guild missions always happen like this, with all this fear and lack of planning?"

This made Sting laugh. "Well… I don't know about other people, but I've done _way_ harder jobs than this, with not so much as a couple of minutes prep work" the guild master stated, "So let's not hang around anymore… Let's _go_!" And with that the blond and brunette started making their way down the corridors of the hideout in search of the pink-haired Mage that was the focus of every one of Sting's thoughts.

"I've gotta find Natsu… I refuse to let all my planning for our date to go to waste!" Sting muttered as the pair searched.

"Plus… I've still gotta show him just how much I like him…" the White Dragon added under his breath.

/

The pair had to skulk about in the shadows as much as possible, however their search was short-lived. With a feeling of certainty, brought about as his sense of smell was a million times more acute from the effect of his attraction towards Natsu, Sting stopped at a seemingly non-descript door. "In here" he said to Coral, who was barely a step behind him.

"Are you sure?" she asked with a tone of doubt. The White Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Yes, definitely. Natsu's in there… but nobody else is…" Sting said, "Come on, we should save him and get out before anyone shows up" Sting then entered the room to the sight he hadn't wanted to witness. Natsu was chained up to a wall, his waistcoat missing and his body battered-looking. Despite the claim from the Captain that the pinkette had come quietly due to the effects of his sleeping potion, it was clear that when Natsu _had_ woken up he was anything but quiet. "Is he… ok?" Coral asked in a quiet tone of voice. Sting frowned.

"He smells like he's only been battered and bruised, but… I can't be sure. We should get him out of here ASAP" the blond stated. Coral nodded.

"Okay, those chains look like they're resistant to normal magic, so I'll rust them through using my magic. Can you stand watch for now?" Coral asked. Sting nodded.

"Alright, but make it quick" the White Dragon Slayer stated. As the blond turned to guard the door, and the brunette moved to Natsu's side, a voice rang out; faint as a whisper, but as clear as day to the ears of the White Dragon.

"S-ting…" Natsu breathed. Sting's head whipped around to stare at the pinkette.

"Natsu?" the blond questioned.

"Sting… tr-trap…" Natsu's eyes suddenly snapped wide open, "Get outta here, this is a trap!" the pinkette barked.

"What?!" Sting shouted, before turning to look back towards the door, their only exit.

"Too late" a voice sounded out. It was the muscular man from the beach, the 'Captain'.

"Oh, my my… it seems our friend was right, there really was a person following us. What a shame, unlucky for you _Coral_ " Lynn said, as she appeared beside the male, a wicked grin contorting her face as she stared at the brunette. Coral stared back.

"So, you really have flipped, Lynn" Coral replied.

"Don't act so surprised, you always called me a witch and used to poke fun… of anyone at that ramshackle hotel, you were the only one to dare show any kind of defiance towards me" Lynn stated, "Although… I suppose this situation does merit some level of surprise, I mean… who would've guessed that _you_ , dear Coral, would plan such a dastardly rescue plan to save both of my perfect little captives?" Lynn added in her usual, sickly sweet and very fake tone of voice.

"Hmph… you really are a bitch" Coral commented flatly. Lynn laughed a hollow laugh, before raising an arm up so that it drew level with Coral.

"Perhaps… but at least this bitch has power. Let me show you" Lynn stated, before a jet of powerful water erupted forwards to hit the brunette. At the same time, without warning, the male beside her flicked open a bottle of unknown contents, muttering an incantation that would clearly activate whatever power he used to control his gaseous substances.

"I can't have you leave," he said, "Otherwise that _man_ will almost definitely kill me, kill us all" the 'Captain' stated, as he prepared to unleash his spell.

"Arh… too slow…" Sting cursed, as both Lynn's Water spell and the man's unknown Magic surged across the room. The White Dragon Slayer prepared himself for the impact of the spells, devoting all the magic he had into defending and then counterattacking. Coral, however, had other ideas.

"Ah! I've had it with you, you bitch!" the brunette Water Mage screamed, before she threw her arms wide. "Deep Torrent" Coral screeched at the top of her lungs, calling on her magical power but being driven solely by her immediate anger towards the other Water Mage.

Lynn seemed surprised by the sudden spell. "Since when have you been able to cast such strong spells so quickly?" Lynn questioned aloud, before she realised that the deluge of magical water would overwhelm her and her (considerably weaker) Water spell. All that was then heard from her mouth was a sequence of _very_ unladylike curses, as she was swept off her feet by the water and knocked back into the corridor. The Captain was a bit luckier however, as his magic was able to weaken the Water spell enough that he was not pushed back, although the look of frustration on the burly man's face told Sting all he needed to know; his plan to dissolve the man's toxic chemicals in water was successful. "Yes, well done Coral!" Sting exclaimed in praise of the brunette's power.

Coral smiled at him momentarily, before glaring back at the now dishevelled and soaked-through Lynn, who had reappeared at the door. "You know what Lynn… you're right, I've always been suspicious of you. No, in fact… I hate you!" the brunette declared, "My last four… no, _five_ boyfriends, each and every one you have stolen from me, only to discard in favour of another man to chase. You are a real, and complete bitch, who only ever wants men for your sexual predations. I refuse to let you have another man, you _will not get Natsu Dragneel_!" Coral barked viciously.

Lynn smirked wickedly. "You think that you can defeat me, after just one spell. You're too overconfident there" she stated.

Coral frowned, however it was the Captain beside Lynn who spoke up. "Um… Miss Lynn… wouldn't go provoking 'em, since tha' woman's magic seems teh haf dissolved all ma powders I won't be able to 'elp you" he said in a flat and emotionless tone. Sting narrowed his eyes at the man; whilst he probably wasn't lying about the state of the powders, the evidence for that statement lay in the inky black puddles all over the place, the White Dragon Slayer still suspected that the assassin probably had another trick up his sleeve.

Lynn, however, did not seem to have such suspicions, as she turned to the man with a look of disgust. "What are you saying, Chumgore, that _you_ have been bested by this woman's one spell?" Lynn snapped, "Useless".

Chumgore smiled wickedly. "Did I say tha'?" he replied, before he drew a blade from somewhere within the cloak that he wore around his person. Sting smiled knowingly, his assumption confirmed.

"Hey, Coral" he said, earning the woman's attention.

"Yeah?"

"Take Natsu and get outta here. Without that guy's magic, I can beat these two myself. You gotta get Natsu out of here first though, I don't want to have to worry about him whilst I'm fighting, okay?" Sting asked her. Coral frowned at the blond, however even she realised that there was no way that Sting was going to take no for an answer; so, she just nodded instead.

"Alright, but you better not take long, and make sure you catch up with us" she said, before she reached down and began to slump Natsu over her shoulders. The pinkette looked weakly to Sting, however he still smiled.

"I'm not leaving yet, I can still help you fight" he stated. Sting shook his head.

"No, Natsu. You've been affected by this guy's magics, we don't know what it could do to you. You need to leave, but don't worry about me… this won't take very long" Sting assured him. Natsu frowned.

"But-" Sting silenced Natsu protest with a slight touch to his cheek. Then he kissed him.

"I said I'll be fine. Trust me" he stated. Natsu suddenly felt all his resistance fail; he just couldn't help but smile.

"Go show 'em…" the pinkette half-mumbled, before he allowed himself to be dragged off by Coral. Sting nodded.

"Alright" he agreed, before looking back to their opponents, "Coral, I'm gonna make an opening, you get passed them" he said, before charging up his magic into his fists and feet. "Ready?" Coral nodded.

"Ready" she replied. Sting then grinned viciously.

"Alright, you assholes, you hurt Natsu, so I'm gonna make you pay. Ready or not, here I fucking come!" the White Dragon Slayer then rushed forwards, his fists already primed to crash into the pair.

/

The light-infused fists each found their targets with ease, the magic spurring the force of the blow to ten times the normal strength at least. "Go, now!" Sting called out as he pushed both Lynn and the man identified as Chumgore back.

Coral nodded, before she used all her strength to carry Natsu out of the room and away from the fighting. She just managed to slip passed, before the burly man that was their opponent recovered. "Come back 'ere!" he called out, a hint of fear in his voice. Coral did not do as he said, although she did feel him begin to follow her. Daring to look back, she was just in time to see Sting leap up and strike a blow to the side of the man's head that sent him spinning, before landing back down to deliver a kick to Lynn, who had another Water spell primed towards him. Sting grinned at her, before he continued fighting.

"I've got this, go!" he called out to the brunette Water mage that wavered between fleeing and staying. Coral nodded, her faith renewed by that magnificent display of strength and skill.

"Okay" she replied, before continuing on down the corridor.

At the end of the corridor she found some stairs, and began to head downwards. From what she knew of the layout they were on the third floor, and the exit was three flights of stairs below them. "Man, guild wizards are really something… especially you Dragon Slayers" she muttered, as she struggled to continue on with Natsu slumped over her shoulders. The pinkette chuckled slightly.

"Well… we are trained to fight _Dragons_ so I guess we should be pretty strong" he mused, as he began to try to stand a little more upright. Coral gave a look of surprise at the pinkette's sudden movements.

"You don't need to stand, I can still carry you" she said in a concerned tone. Natsu shook his head.

"Don't worry, if I can't fight, I can at least help you out by trying to walk on my own… then we can escape quicker" he said, as his head began to clear a little. After arriving at the hideout, and waking up, Natsu had attempted to fight his way free, only to be chained up and drugged with some more of that sleeping gas. He was finally starting to recover when Sting showed up, however he had suffered a double dose of the sleep-inducing drug, so it was taking him quite some time to be able to function properly. "I'm starting to feel a bit better now" Natsu confirmed with Coral, as the pair reached the second floor, and found that the stairs ended there. Poking her head out into the corridor beyond the stairs, the place seemed empty so they continued on their path toward the next flight of stairs.

Somewhere half-way between the first set of steps and the next, however, the two were forced to stop. "Get down!" Natsu's warning sounded, only moments before the whole ceiling came crashing down in front of them. Coral leaped back, Natsu only a step behind her.

"What was that?" Coral exclaimed, as she attempted to peer into the cloud of dust and debris that was now blocking the path ahead of them.

"Um… I think it's Sting" the pinkette replied, before a massive eruption of light exploded from within the swirling mist of dust and wood-particles. The force of the blast sent both Coral and Natsu to their knees. After a moment, a figure emerged from the cloud.

"Hey guys" Sting beamed cheerfully, as he dusted himself off.

Natsu chuckled. "Hey Sting, nice entrance" he replied, "Did you win?" Sting nodded.

"Yeah, what did I say. Trust me" he laughed, before he looked up toward the hole he had made in the floor above. "Although I suppose I shouldn't have done such a powerful spell in such a close space" he mused. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, you almost killed me and Coral, you idiot" the pinkette replied.

"Not to mention block our exit" Coral piled on.

Sting laughed. "Oh… sorry…" he apologised, before looking around them. "Although… I guess we should probably try escape now, I'm sure that Black-haired guy will have heard that loud explosion" Sting noted. Natsu and Coral nodded.

"Agreed, let's get going" Coral commented, before she gestured for Sting and Natsu to continue down the corridor, "If I remember right, there's some stairs down here that'll take us to the ground floor, then we can leave through the front, okay?" she asked. Sting and Natsu both nodded.

"Sound's good" the pair said in unison.

/

The trio of mages arrived at the front door with smiles on their faces. Despite everything that happened, they had managed to escape scot-free, without much more than a few bruises. "Alright, so we just head out then run like hell back to the hotel, right?" Sting stated, as they approached the front door. Coral nodded.

"Yes, I will inform the manager about Lynn's activities, and then we can go and speak to the local enforcement from the army to discuss matters further" the brunette agreed, before she reached for the handle to the front door. "Although, I suspect that by the time they get involved, Lynn, the Captain and that odd Black-haired guy will be long gone" she added, as she opened the door wide and all three mages stepped out into the mid-evening chill.

"Oh, we will really?" a voice said as they left the house. The three all leaped, with Natsu and Sting immediately assuming fighting stances as their eyes fixed onto the last figured they ever wanted to see; the black-haired man who had tormented Sting and captured Natsu.

"You…" Natsu narrowed his eyes onto the man, who grinned back.

"Yes, me, glad to see there's nothing wrong with your eyes" he retorted, before he bowed. "Although, I suppose I should inform you that I have no intention of stopping you leave" he added with a faint smirk.

Sting furrowed his eyes. "You don't?" he questioned. The man shook his head.

"No, those two dear pawns have served their usefulness, so I will leave them unto their fates" he stated. Coral narrowed her eyes at the man.

"So, I assume you were the one behind all this really then, you persuaded Lynn to go to these extremes?" she interrogated. The man pouted.

"What makes you assume she needed persuading?" he mused. Coral scoffed.

"Lynn's a bitch, but I think even she would have drawn a line at capturing and torture" the brunette stated flatly, droplets of water forming around her hands as she readied an attack just in case the man was stalling for time.

The black-haired man, however, just laughed. "I suppose you're right there" he chuckled, "She was quite against my initial ideas, however… after a little kiss from my blade here she became a lot more… _receptive_ " he emphasised this by drawing the very sword he was referring to; a sharp-looking, rapier-like blade, with some mysterious runes engraved into its hilt and guard.

"Hey Sting…" Natsu whispered, as the Fire Dragon Slayer eyed the weapon warily. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, I can smell that too… that blades got a lot of magic in it" he commented suspiciously. Coral heard this and began to piece together all the information in her head.

"So… you took control of her with that blade?" she asked after a moment. The black-haired man nodded wildly at her assumption.

"Correct, m'lady" he laughed, "My little beauty here allowed me to easily take control of that dear idiot Lynn, and then use her… all so I could get to you, Natsu Dragneel… and Master Eucliffe too of course" the man added.

Natsu growled at the man. "What do you want from us? From me?" he barked in a threatening tone. Sting on the other hand look worriedly to his crush.

"Um… Natsu… when you woke up, did you notice anything different, besides being bruised and beaten?" the White Dragon Slayer asked carefully. Natsu frowned at Sting.

"No… erm…" the pinkette seemed confused at the question, however the blade wielder before them laughed openly.

"I see the good Master has worked it out" he mused, "If Mister Dragneel would be so kind as to check his shoulder, just below his beloved guild mark, he should find my little gift" the man added, before putting his blade away again.

Natsu looked to where he was told, and whilst miniscule, he did notice what the man was referring too; a tiny cut, almost unnoticeable, left in his skin as a fine red line. "You… cut me?" he asked. The black-haired man nodded.

"Indeed," he replied, before pulling out a pocket-watch and analysing it quickly. "Oh, and it seems we're out of time too" the man laughed.

"Wait!" Sting roared instantly, as the man moved to replace the pocket watch, a victorious smirk breaking his face from cheek to cheek. "Fix whatever you've done to Natsu" he demanded. The man laughed.

"If only it was that simple, Master Sting Eucliffe, if only it was that simple" he stated, "However my little curse cannot be undone with just a wave of my hand, although even if it could be I wouldn't undo it just yet. No, right now I will leave that spell dormant until such a time that it may be useful to me, and until then… I will bid you _adieu_ " the man said, before turning to leave.

"Wait, come back here" Sting took a few steps forward, the man not stopping regardless.

"Now now, I just said I'd leave gracefully in defeat, don't you think that's enough. Besides, I've already made my mark against the Zollzero, I should leave whilst the time is appropriate. We'll meet again though, so don't worry" the man laughed, before he leaped up to land on the roof of a nearby building. "Until then, I suggest you get plenty of rest… oh, and Natsu should probably see a doctor… the contents of those little poisons my pawn used may have some interesting _side effects_ " the man chuckled, before giving one final bow and then running off out of sight.

Sting cursed, before turning back to Natsu. "Are you okay Natsu, does the cut hurt?" he asked.

Natsu shook his head. "It's just a little, tiny cut Sting, nothing to worry about. Even if I am cursed like Lynn, there's no way I'm letting some stupid curse take cont… control of me" Nastu stuttered. Sting was instantly by his side.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sting asked. Natsu smirked.

"Yeah, just still a little tired after those sleeping potions. Come on, let's get outta here" he said. Sting nodded.

"Coral, are you coming?" he asked. The brunette nodded.

"Hell yeah, no way am I being left in this part of town all alone. Let's go" the woman stated with a smile. Sting nodded.

"Alright then, come on Natsu, I'll help you walk" the White Dragon Slayer commented. Surprisingly, Natsu did not reject his assistance, even though it meant walking all the way through town with Sting's arm around him. To some onlookers, it might even have looked like Natsu enjoyed being so close to Sting, which of course was true too.

/

 **Beach-side Hotel, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, a little while later**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I sat on a chair in a room back at the inn. Sting was away somewhere, discussing matters with the manager whilst a local doctor checked me over. "Well, Mister Dragneel, it doesn't look like those poisons will have any other side effects to you. Physically, at least" the man stated, as he finished his analysis. I nodded.

"Okay… I guess you can't tell stuff magically, can you?" I replied, in a polite tone of voice. The middle-aged doctor shook his head.

"I've seen many magically-induced injuries before, it's just part of the job, however for spells and curses that effect the _inside_ of the body, there isn't much more I can do than check to make sure it won't do any more physical harm" the man replied. I nodded in understanding.

"That's okay. If there is anything wrong because of magic, there are people in my guild who'll be able to help me anyways" I reasoned. The doctor smiled.

"I still can't believe you went up against _the_ Captain Chumgore and came out with only a few bruises and scratches" the man remarked. I chuckled.

"Was he really all that famous?" I asked. The doctor shrugged.

"Around here he is… or rather, was" the man said, "However, if you've managed to rid us of him, I guess I can let you off without paying my bill. Especially since I didn't actually treat anything" the doctor added with a smirked. I gave him a wide-eyed response.

"You're not asking for any money?" I said, "Event though we had to get you to come all the way here?" The doctor shook his head.

"All I did was help somebody, and give out a few plasters and bandages, it's not like it'll cost me very much" the man replied. "Although, if you do want to give me something, my son is a big fan of yours, so your autograph would certainly make him smile" the doctor added after a moment. I smiled widely.

"That seems easy enough, here let me get something to write on" I stated, before scrabbled for some paper from a nearby workstation. With the autograph in hand the doctor then left, to return to the house that we had so ungraciously dragged him from late this evening. A few minutes later, Sting entered, with a mask of concern covering his usually smiley features.

"So, is everything okay?" the blond asked as he approached me. I nodded.

"The doctor said I'm fine" I stated, "What about you?"

"I'm fine too. Besides a few bruises, I didn't really get all that injured" Sting replied. "I told the manager what happened too, and he's contacted the local magic council officers, as well as a few of the more local enforcers. They'll deal with capturing Lynn and that Captain guy".

I nodded. "Okay. They might have some problems capturing them, especially if there's no Water Magic user to wash away that Captain's poisons" Sting chuckled.

"I only had Coral do that on a hunch. Once you took away that guys magic he and Lynn really weren't all that tough" the blond mused, before his face became more serious, "However… I still feel like I need to say something" he added after a moment. I frowned in anticipation.

"I'm all ears" I stated. Sting looked to me worriedly, his face showed that he was going to apologise for something well before the words even left his mouth.

"I wanna… apologise. For not being able to help stop you getting captured, and also… for kissing you…" Sting said, with a downcast expression. I took a moment to process this apology.

After a few minutes, I stood up from my chair and then went over to the White Dragon Slayer. Sting seemed to register the movement and lifted his head to look me in the eye. "Why are you apologising for that?" I asked, earning a look of confusion from the blond.

"W-well… I mean, if I hadn't left the beach-house then you wouldn't have…" he trailed off as he seemed to struggle to explain his reasons. This made me smile.

"Had you been there, you woulda been captured too, you idiot" I commented after Sting's floundering left him dumbstruck.

"Yeah, but even so…" he stated. I shook my head.

"Look, it's not your fault I was captured, it's mine. I should've noticed that sleeping drug a lot earlier" I said, with a tone of voice that left Sting with no room to argue back. I then narrowed my eyes onto him as I continued, "And what about the kiss? Did you not like kissing me?" I added. Sting shook his head instantly as I questioned him on this.

"No!" he barked, "I… I wanted to kiss you from the start, but we promised that we wouldn't until our date and well, I broke my promise. That was why I apologised for that" Sting explained hurriedly, his face going slightly blush as he gave his reasoning. I smirked widely.

"Oh, so you were just worried about breaking your promise to me?" I asked, seeking clarification. Sting nodded. "If that's the case then," I leaned in and kissed him fleetingly, "That should make us even, right?" Sting smirked at me.

"Alright. But we can't kiss again until our date, agreed?" the blond looked to me adamantly. I chuckled.

"Fine, but don't you think it's about damn time for this wonderful date you promised me?" I replied. Sting laughed.

"Just wait a little bit. We can go back to the house, then we can go on the date, alright?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Sounds good" I replied. Not long after that we returned to the house. All the while we were there, I could not stop thinking about what Sting had planned, or what the White Dragon Slayer saw in my that made him so eager to go out on dates.

Regardless of the answers to these questions, one thing remained firm in my mind; _after everything that happened today, I know now…_

 _I love Sting…_

 **End of Chapter 12**

 **Chapter Hint; Two Types of Fun**


	13. Chapter 13 - Two Types of Fun

**Chapter 13 – Two Types of Fun**

 **Beach House, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, Evening,**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I sat on the sofa in the main room, anticipation and anxiety in equal measures rising in my chest as I awaited the reappearance of the blond White Dragon Slayer. "Come on Sting, how long're you gonna take?" I complained to myself as I stared towards the general direction of the bedroom where the blond was 'getting ready'. Since arriving back at the house, Sting and I had agreed to get ready separately, with me preparing and showering first, and him second, however as I now waited, I was somewhat regretting my choice; Sting was taking _forever_. I had only hurriedly gotten changed into the spare clothes I had brought with me, after having a quick but thorough shower, yet Sting seemed to be taking his sweet time getting himself ready. _And here I thought he was excited for this date he had planned?_ I thought to myself. After a little while longer I got up and heaved a great sigh.

"Alright, it's been an hour at least, I'm coming in!" I declared only moments before barrelling into the bedroom. Despite my warning, there was no one there. "Sting?" I questioned aloud, trying to see if the other male was still showering. There was no reply.

"Sting?" I tried again, yet still nothing sounded out. After a few moments, I noticed that the window, which I was sure was closed when I had left the bedroom, was now wide open. "Did he leave through the window?" I questioned, with a puzzled but slightly amused expression passing over my features. Poking my head outside I could see not one trace of the White Dragon Slayer, although I could definitely smell him. "What the…" I gave a look of confusion, "Where did he go?"

Suddenly a knock sounded at the front door. Turning my head, and with a suspicious frown, I headed out of the bedroom to answer the person knocking. As soon as I opened the door, my face turned from a frown, to a look of pure confusion. "Surprise!" Sting beamed at me from the porch of the building.

"What are you… did you come all the way around the side?" I questioned the beaming Dragon Slayer. Sting nodded.

"Yep. I heard you complaining, and then as soon as you stood up I knew what you were going to do, so I had to make a slightly… quicker… escape than I had planned, which meant I had to finish buttoning this shirt up as I came around… but, anyways yeah I guess I did" Sting blabbered. I sighed, before smiling.

"You wanted to surprise me?" I asked him. Sting nodded.

"I figured to make this seem more like a date I should pick you up from the front door, rather than just walking outta the bedroom going 'let's go'" Sting explained with a slight chuckle. I chuckled along with him.

"You're putting a lot of effort into this" I stated observingly, before I looked down to Sting's arms, which were hidden behind his back. "What are you hiding?" I asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. Sting pouted.

"Nothing…" he said coyly. I smirked.

"Come on" I said, "You know I can always smell them anyways, right?" I added after a moment. Sting shrugged.

"Fine. Here, I got these for you" he stated, before he produced a small number of flowers and chocolates.

"For a first date?" I queried immediately. He nodded.

"Hey, if it's for you I'm going all out" Sting stated, before he gave a wide grin, "Although if you're just gonna use your nose to tell everything anyways, then I guess there's no point in me hiding anything" the White Dragon Slayer commented, his face giving a slight pout. I laughed.

"It's not like you couldn't do the same" I said. Sting shrugged.

"My nose is not as good as yours Natsu, in fact I don't think anybody's is" I replied, in a flattering tone of voice. I just rolled my eyes.

"Alright, you got me convinced, I'm sorry. Thank you for these. Now shall we get going?" I said quickly. Sting nodded.

"Okay, you look good by the way" the White Dragon agreed, before giving a slight nod towards my attire; it was nothing special, just an extra, closed-front waistcoat and a parody of my usual attire in a blue-silver colouration. I accepted the compliment graciously.

"Thanks. You… look good too" I replied, as I locked up the house for the evening. Sting smiled.

"Hey, I said I'd try" he chuckled, as he linked arms with me. I couldn't help but agree, unlike me Sting was wearing a nice, deep-blue shirt with matching dark-blue trousers and shoes. _Does he really think he has to try so hard? I… already like him… a lot…_ I thought for a moment, before shaking my head to remove any possible negative thoughts from my mind.

 _No, tonight I'm just gonna be positive. I gotta enjoy my time with Sting like this_ I thought determinedly. "Something the matter?" Sting asked me as we walked into town; he seemed to have noticed my slight head shake.

"No" I said confidently, before I allowed a smirk to form on my features, "Just wondering what you've got planned for tonight". Sting smirked back.

"You'll have to wait a _see_ " he replied in a sing-song but upbeat voice. It annoyed me that he was keeping me in suspense, however I knew it wouldn't be for long.

/

After a short walk into town, Sting directed me towards a particular restaurant. "I think you'll like this place. You said you weren't too comfortable with all-posh and expensive food when we were at the Zollzero's restaurant, so I figured I'd choose something a little more low-key this time" Sting said with a bright, although somewhat unsure smile. I smiled back to reassure him.

"It's fine. I like most food so it didn't really matter to me what you'd pick, although… I'm kinda glad you remembered that" I said happily with a fondness to my tone. Sting nodded, before pointing to a specific building.

"Thanks. Look, there it is" he said. I followed his outstretched arm to the intended target; sure enough, the place Sting had picked seemed to be some smaller restaurant nuzzled in between a large shop that was closed for the evening, and row of little market stalls, all of which overlook beach views. Entering the establishment, a woman came to meet us, who immediately recognised Sting and me.

"Oh, you're Sting Eucliffe… and Natsu Dragneel" the woman said in a tone that suggested she was completely unaware of the reservation Sting had supposedly made previously in the day.

"Yes, we are. I believe I made a reservation here earlier today" Sting said in a more pleasant tone of voice, clearly to placate the seemingly surprised woman before us.

"Oh… um… I'll just have to go and check, please wait a moment" the waitress said, before she hurried off to confirm our request. After a minute or so, she returned, with two menus in hand as well. "It seems you do have a reservation sir, please follow me and I will show you to your table" we both did, with a slight smile to each other as we were led through the quiet restaurant.

The table Sting had apparently selected was a booth near the back of the building. Beside it was a window that stared out directly onto the ocean, which glowed all manner of oranges and pinks as the setting sun reflected off the crystal blue water. "Whoa" I breathed as I took in the view.

"This is the table you specifically requested, isn't sir?" the waitress asked in a polite tone of voice, directing her question to the blond beside me.

Sting looked at me before he replied; I could tell he was gauging whether I would like to sit here, and after giving him a faint nod, he smiled. "Yes, it is" Sting confirmed. The waitress nodded, before gesturing for us to take our seats. As Sting and I sat opposite each other the woman placed the two menus down delicately in front of us.

"Would you like anything to drink whilst you look through our menus?" she asked, after giving us a moment to glance over the contents of the documents. I looked to Sting.

"Erm…" I was unsure of what to request, since my normal response to such a question would usually just be either 'beer' or 'water', neither of which seemed like appropriate answers in this context. The White Dragon Slayer seemed to be having the same plight as me, since he too gave a look of uncertainty.

"If you need a moment to decide I can always return, or if you prefer I can recommend some wine or other drinks from our collection" the waitress said with a smile. Despite her good intentions, the waitress' recommendations were not making anything easier for me; _Wine? That's something people normally drink on dates, right?_ _But I don't know the first thing about wine, or any other kinds of alcohol besides drinking it…_ I froze in place.

After a few painful moments, Sting spoke up. "We'll have whatever wine you recommend" he said with a gracious smile to the woman serving us. The waitress gave a slight look of surprise, which she attempted to carefully cover up with an expertise that suggested several years in the service industry despite her relatively young appearance.

"Oh… is there any particular preference you have then? A specific type of wine that I can get you? Or a specific price?" she questioned us, obviously trying to work out our preferences. Sting pouted in thought for a moment.

"Red. But it can't be _too_ expensive" he said with a smile, before looking to me, "If that's alright with you Natsu?" I nodded; inside I was thankful that the blond had taken charge and was just happy he had made a decision when I could not. "Alright, that settles it then" Sting declared in confirmation. The waitress nodded.

"Okay, I will bring your drinks over in a moment, then I can take your food order" she said. Sting and I nodded in understanding, before we watched her leave. Once she was gone I gave a visible expression of relief.

"I can't believe that I froze up there" I stated amusedly. Sting smiled.

"So, you can fight Dragons, beat up demons and take on the biggest of monsters without batting an eye, yet you are completely defeated by waitresses taking drinks orders… interesting" the White Dragon Slayer chimed with a slight chuckle. I frowned at him.

"Hey, don't pretend like you didn't freeze up there too, I saw your face" I said defensively. Sting shrugged.

"Maybe, but at least I _gave_ a response" he replied with a cocky grin that sent me pouting.

"I hate it when you get all cocky like that" I huffed, before I focused on scanning the menu. Unlike the last time Sting and I were in a restaurant, this time I could understand all of the dishes that were being listed, although I was still having some difficulty just selecting _one_ to choose. "Do you know what you wanna eat?" I asked, trying to see if the other male's choice could help me to make my mind up.

Sting laughed, "I don't know… there's quite a few things here that sound tasty" he commented, "Have you decided?" I shook my head, sending him a big grin back.

"No. I'm having the same problem" I replied, which made Sting and I laugh a little more.

"We could order a couple of dishes and then share I suppose" the White Dragon reasoned, "However that'll use up the rest of my funds, I won't probably have any money left until we get back to Magnolia and take another job" I shrugged.

"I'll still have money, so I could buy us breakfast tomorrow" I stated. Sting shook his head.

"The manager already offered to give us breakfast back at the hotel tomorrow, as an apology for having his staff member assault us" Sting stated. I frowned.

"It wasn't his fault though" I said in a mildly confused tone. Sting nodded.

"I said that, but he was… insistent…" the White Dragon Slayer relayed. "Regardless, when we get back to Magnolia, I'm gonna have a word with Edric… since the guy behind all that stuff was only attacking us because of our connection to those Zollzero, I figured we may be able to get some compensation from them" Sting explained. I smiled.

"That's a good idea… if I tell Gramps what happened then it's likely he'll also probably want to have a _word_ or two with Edric as well, so if _you_ can't get some compensation from them, then he definitely will" I grinned wickedly. Sting chuckled.

"That's a good idea" he said, before he turned to his left in time to see the waitress reappear with our drinks order.

"Here is your wine, I hope you like it" she said, as she set two glasses down and poured some of the deep red liquid into them. Sting and I observed the wine carefully before we looked back to the woman. "Are you ready to make your food order?" she asked. I looked to Sting.

"Are we going for the sharing option?" I asked. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, why not? At least we'll get to have more food" he said, before he then proceeded to select multiple dishes from the menu. The waitress recorded all these, before vanishing off to fulfil the slightly longer requested food order. Once Sting and I were alone again, I couldn't help but smile.

 _Sitting here with him, having a laugh… it's fun… but does it mean I love him or is it just something else?_ I thought for a moment as I took a sip of my wine. Sting smiled back at me.

"Enjoying yourself so far Natsu?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah" I replied. Sting beamed at this.

"Good, because this is only the beginning" he said. I frowned.

"Really?" Sting nodded.

"Yep, I've got three things planned for tonight, so after this there's two more" he said. I smiled.

"But I'm guessing you aren't gonna tell me about them yet?" I said in a jovial but questioning tone. He laughed.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I did" he replied. I chuckled.

"Alright then…" I couldn't help but wonder what he was planning. _Guess I'll have to wait and see…_

/

Our food order took a little time to arrive, but when it did both me and Sting had to force ourselves not to drool. It really was a grand selection of dishes.

Sparing no time, we each dug into plate after plate of food, before we ordered some additional deserts. Eating those, Sting and I both began reminiscing about the sweet treats at our respective guilds, with me in particular regaling the White Dragon Slayer with several stories about Erza and her obsession of all things cake. Sting in turn told me about several amazing cake shops and cafés that were near to his guild that he just 'had to show me sometime'. I almost took him up on his offer, however I decided to avoid discussing future plans until after I had decided how I felt about the White Dragon Slayer. Sting seemed okay with this decision, since his confidence pushed him to just try harder to win me over. It made me happy he thought like this, although I could not understand why.

After enjoying ourselves at the restaurant, Sting and I left, with bright smiles plastering our faces. "What's next?" I asked. Sting gestured for me to follow him.

"You'll see when we get there, come on" Sting said, before he led me at a slow, but pleasant pace, through the streets of Hargeon. As we walked, I couldn't help but observe the blond. His hair was as spikey and haphazard as always, however it also showed some care, and a smoothness that made me want to touch it. _I wonder if he does anything specific to get it like that…_ I thought to myself, _no matter what I do with mine, it always ends up the same, messy mop_ …

"Something up Natsu?" Sting asked, as he glanced towards me. I shook my head and smiled.

"No, just admiring the view" I said. Sting chuckled.

"Of what?" he mused "I didn't have you pegged for the daydreaming type" he added with a slight smirk. I shrugged.

"I don't mind looking at stuff when it _interests_ me" I said, before changing the topic of conversation. "Anyways, speaking of stuff that's interesting; where are we going?" I asked. Sting smiled.

"It's not far, you'll see when we get there" the blond replied, before he moved closer to me, taking my hand in his. "And then there'll definitely be a view there you can admire" he added. I smirked to myself. _So long as you're around there's always gonna be a view that I can admire_ I thought. "Something funny?" Sting asked suddenly, noticing my smile. I shook my head.

"No" I said, "Just thinking about something a little embarrassing" Sting's practically glowed when I said this. Seeing his expression, I knew immediately what he was going to ask.

"Can you tell-"

"No" I said, before giving him a big smile, "However if this thing, or this place your taking me to is interesting enough, I might tell you… maybe…" I chuckled. Sting slightly increased the pace of his walking as I said this.

"If that's the case then _let's go!_ " he cheered, before practically dragging me the rest of the distance.

When we reached the place, I was left completely speechless. It was beautiful.

/

 **Beach, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

The sun had set, and left a blanket of blackness in the sky above, dotted with the faint lights of stars. This almost perfect, cloudless night was made all the more amazing by the still sea which mirrored everything and made it seem like the sky itself had merged with the place before us. I heard Natsu breath in deeply beside me as we made our way over to the particular part of secluded beach, somewhere between our house and the town. "Whoa…" he said in a breathless tone. It surprised me to hear the Fire Dragon Slayer go so quiet. I smiled slightly to myself.

"So, is this interesting enough for you?" I asked the pink-haired Mage, with a smile and a slightly raised brow. Natsu looked to me.

"You wanted to show me this?" he asked. I nodded.

"I know it isn't some big fancy or particularly special place… however, when I was walking around town earlier today I saw this old man painting. Just outta curiosity I looked to see what he was painting, and it was this place, except at night" I explained, which seemed to surprise Natsu, "When he noticed me looking he smiled and said that this place was the most beautiful part of the beach this time of year, and that he always came to draw it during the day so he could get the scenery right. At the time, I was trying to think of a perfect place for us to spend our time after dinner… and well… I figured I'd choose this place" I added with a faint chuckle, "Pretty stupid, right?"

Natsu shook his head. "No" he said firmly, "I think it's perfect. I always like hanging out under the stars, makes me remember when I was little with Igneel, camping outside" the pinkette added with his own smile. I laughed.

"Really? I used to like doing that with Weisslogia too" I said in a slightly more upbeat tone. Natsu chuckled.

"So, I guess we had similar upbringings with our Dragons" he stated, before his eyes wandered back to the star-dotted scene both above and before us. "Y'know… if Lucy was here she could tell us all the constellations, she usually does when we're forced to camp out on jobs" the pinkette muttered, seemingly just to himself. I smiled and took his hand.

"Yukino does the same thing. Must be because of their Celestial Spirit Magic" I relayed, dragging the Dragon Slayers attention back to me. Natsu nodded.

"Probably…" he agreed before he looked down to our joined hands. I began to tug at his wrist in order to get him to follow me. _I want to get him relaxed… before I give him that thing I bought_ … _plus the other thing…_

"Come on, let's sit on the hill for a little while… we can see if we can remember any of the constellations without those two there to correct us" I grinned. Natsu nodded and allowed me to guide him to a patch of soft grass, where we sat together, each staring up into the darkened sky above. I found that no matter how hard I tried, I could not remember the names of any of the dots above, so instead I allowed my eyes to fall to earth, taking in every detail of the male beside me; he was much more beautiful to me than those stars anyway. After a little while, Natsu noticed me staring at him, and he gave a slightly smug look. "Enjoying the view?" he asked me in a cocky tone of voice that sent a slight wave of heat throughout my body. _Damn, not yet_ I thought, as I supressed my sudden urge.

"Yeah… it's beautiful" I replied, keeping my own smug smile on my face. Natsu laughed.

"So… you said there was one more surprise after this… are you gonna tell me what it is?" he asked. I smirked at this.

"The third surprise depends on you" I stated. This made Natsu frown.

"On me?" he mumbled in confusion, as his mind clearly tried to guess at what this could mean. I nodded to confirm his question before I spoke.

"Yeah, but before I let you decide, I want to give you two things" I said, holding up two fingers to emphasize this. Natsu eyed the digits for a moment, before his face became a mask of intrigue.

"Okay…" he said, trying to prompt me to tell him what these things were. I let go of his hand, to fumble about my person for a moment. After a quick search, I found the object I was looking for. "Alright, hold out your hands and close your eyes" I said. Natsu did as he was told, although from his quick frown, he was not pleased with having been asked to do this. With a slightly childish smirk, I placed the trinket I had bought down in the Dragon Slayers palm. "Okay, you can open them" I said to Natsu, who immediately looked down at the small thing I had placed in his hand.

"What's…" he trailed off before he had even begun to speak. Natsu looked back up at me for a moment, before looking back down to the trinket. "It's a little you" he smirked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I saw a stall selling all kinds of miniatures. Me, you, Fairy Tail, Sabertooth… Blue Pegasus. Even Lamia Scale. There were miniatures of each and every famous Mage in pretty much the whole of Fiore" I said. Natsu chuckled.

"So why did you get me this?" the pinkette asked me. I laughed a little.

"Well… it was because of two reasons. One, I wanted to see how you'd react. And two, I wanted to give you something that wasn't too serious, but would still remind you of me. I figured that little thing would definitely at least remind you of me" I stated a little jovially. Natsu smiled brightly at me.

"Well, I guess you succeeded then" he said, before he looked to the figure for one last time. He moved it around in his hands, examining its details, before looking back to me. "So, what was your other gift?" he asked. Hearing this, once more a wide grin spread over my features.

"The other one is right here with me… you just gotta close your eyes again so I can give it to ya" I said. Natsu did as he was told once again, closing his eyes with a slight look of anticipation on his face. As he did this, he placed the figure of me down on his lap, before holding out his hands. I took one look at the pinkette before a warmth spread throughout my body. _Well… guess this is when I see how he feels about all this…_ I thought, before I leaned in to give the Fire Mage his present.

/

 **Beach, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I waited expectantly with my hands outstretched. I could feel Sting moving about in front of me, but I could not figure out what he was doing. Then, quite surprisingly, I felt his lips connect with mine. I opened my eyes for a moment in surprise, before closing them again to enjoy the experience a little more. The kiss was sweet, and it ignited a heat within me that I had not even suspected of existing, one that made me unconsciously lean in towards the blond. After a couple of minutes, Sting pulled away and I opened my eyes. I had to take a moment to allow my mind to catch up with what was going, whilst Sting moved to sit cross-legged in front of me.

"So… what did you think of your other present?" he asked, his tone and the glimmer in my eyes told me instantly that my answer here would define how Sting I would in the next few minutes, or perhaps would permanently, act towards each other. _I need to decide now; do I love him or not?_ I thought. The answer was simple, and a smile on my face gave it away before I could even speak.

"I liked it… a lot" I said to Sting. The White Dragon Slayer grinned brightly.

"Oh good…" he sighed in relief, "I wasn't sure if you would've after we already kissed, I thought it wouldn't be as special" he added. I shook my head.

"No Sting, it was… good. All this was good… the meal, the view from our table, _all this_ " I gestured around to the starry scene, "It's just so nice and good and… perfect. I don't really know what else to say, I'm not very good at expressing all my emotions or feelings with words" I said, looking into Stings deep blue eyes. _I want to say I love him, but it just…_

"Natsu, you don't need to tell me. If you can't use your words, use your actions" Sting said with a smile. I smiled back. _My actions?_

I found myself leaning in and kissing Sting again before my mind could even register the idea. Now it was the blond-haired Dragon Slayer's turn to give a look of surprise, before a flicker of a smile passed over his lips. I leaned in closer, and placed an arm behind Sting to support myself. Sting seemed to follow the movement, and soon we were lying on top of each other, our lips still connected. Sting opened his mouth a little, and allowed me entrance, which I took willingly.

We made out for a short while, before we broke apart for air. "Well…" I said with a slight smirk. Sting nodded slightly.

"That was pretty… clear" he mused, before looking down to where I was laying on top of him.

"Oh… sorry" I mumbled, before I sat up off of him, "I guess I just got a little carried away" I added. Sting shook his head.

"It was fine… you were nice and warm" he chuckled.

"Well I do play with fire" I said, conjuring up a small flame to my finger tip to emphasise this. Sting looked to the flickering ember, before looking back to me.

"I suppose that's true" he agreed, before he rubbed the back of his head, "However…" the White Dragon Slayer looked away from me, his face showing some uncertainty. I realised Sting was unsure of something; the sudden scent of fear emanating off of Sting was clear enough from this proximity for me to register it instantly. After a moment or so of thinking, Sting's moved so that his eyes met mine; blue to black. "I uh… need… I need to know. Do you think we could be together… as boyfriends? Or do you just want to leave this like it is, with us having this one date?" Sting asked me suddenly. I widened my eyes a little in surprise; _Was that kiss not clear enough?_ I thought confusedly.

My wide-eyed response seemed to invoke a sense of desperation in Sting, who sighed deeply. "It's okay if you don't want to…" he said, his words and tone completely contradicting one another. I shook my head. _Damn, he must've thought that my surprise meant I didn't want to_!

"No" I said suddenly, earning a slightly confused look from the other Dragon Slayer. "No, I… want to. I want to be with you, Sting" I said. Sting's eyes glimmered for a moment, before a suspicious smile crept up onto his face.

"Really?" he asked. I nodded, before I allowed myself to smile.

"Of course, I do, ya idiot" I said, "Why else would I have kissed you like that?"

Sting smiled, his eyes positively glowing upon hearing my response. "If that's the case…" he said, before leaning in, "Can I kiss you one more time?" I nodded.

Then Sting's lips crashed into mine.

/

Heat and love was practically overflowing from this kiss; Sting had clearly been holding back this last couple of times. He pushed me back softly, so that I was the one laying down this time, with his weight on top. Sting's tounge pressed to my lower lip, and out of sheer instinct I opened my mouth, allowing the wet muscle entrance.

Kissing Sting I could still taste the barest remnant of his desert from back at the restaurant; its sweetness enhanced the whole experience and I soon began to feel the heat from earlier fill my body, this time tenfold what it was previously. _What the hell… it feels like somethings burning in me, strong than my Dragon Slayer fire_ … _is this what it feels like to be in love, this heat?_ The question left me confused.

After a few minutes of kissing, Sting pulled off of me, a bright grin on his face. "You like that, Natsu?" he asked with a slight lewdness to his tone. I smiled.

"It was fun… like everything else that's happened tonight" I said, as I tried to avoid letting slip the fact I was already getting a little of that inner _heat_ in another part of my body.

"Well… actually, there is still one more thing I had planned for tonight…" Sting said, with a slight raise of his eyebrows. I nodded as the memory of Sting explaining his plans what felt like ages ago flashed into my mind.

"Yeah, you said that the next thing would depend on me" I relayed. Sting nodded at this.

"Yes, so now I'm going to ask you one thing; do you want to _sleep_ tonight, or do you want to do something a little more _fun_?" Sting asked me, a lewd, but concerned look on his face.

I gave a pout of thought for about a second, before I grinned brightly. "Depends on what you mean by _fun_?" I asked, "Fun like what we just had at the restaurant… or the _other_ type of fun?"

Sting laughed. "Do you really need me to say it?" he asked with a slightly amused tone of voice.

I shook my head, "No, however I wouldn't really care which, so long as I could get to have that fun with you" I said.

Sting stood up. "If that's the case then come on, the beach house isn't far from here" he said, before offering his hand to me. I took it, and then with equally as lewd grins plastered over our faces, Sting and I walked back to our temporary accommodation hand in hand.

Once the house fell into view, neither of us could wait another second, and without any warning, we sprinted back to the building, before barreling through the door at record speed. There was nothing that could hold a pair of horny Dragons at bay after all.

And after those kisses, and this awesome date, there was not one thing alive that was going to stop me having _fun_ with Sting.

Not one thing.

 **End of Chapter 13**

 **Chapter Hint; A Dragon's Nose**


	14. Chapter 14 - A Dragon's Nose

**Chapter 14 – A Dragon's Nose**

 **Beach House, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Natsu and Sting crashed through the door in record time. They barely had time to close it before they were pawing at each other, hungry for any taste of flesh that they could get as their lips crushed together in the first of what was sure to be many passionate kisses that night. "Natsu…" Sting breathed as the pair broke for a little air. The White Dragon Slayer had hoped for some physical stuff after his date with the pinkette, however he had not realised just _how_ much he had wanted it.

"Sting… I…" Natsu couldn't quite find the words to express his desire, so instead he drew the blond close to him and wrapped his arms around Sting's waist. Likewise, Sting pulled Natsu into a tight embrace, before leaning in to the pinkette's ear to whisper.

"It's alright… you don't have to say how much you want me" he mewled in a lust filled tone. "I feel just as horny as you" he added with a flicker of a smirk. Natsu eyed Sting with desire he did not realise he had, before the White Dragon Slayer's words wove their irrevocable effect on his body and he leaned in for a second kiss.

This was short lived, as Sting began to direct Natsu towards the bedroom. "Not here" the blond said in a cocky tone, "I want to do it on the bed, the same one we've been sharing all this time".

Natsu nodded, before he allowed himself to be pushed towards the bedroom, and then up against the wall beside the bedroom door. "Sting… before we continue, I need to say something" Natsu said suddenly, as the White Dragon reached for the door knob to their shared bedroom. Sting eyed Natsu with intrigue, that only slightly veiled the deep lust he was currently experiencing. "What is it Natsu?" he asked in a concerned voice.

Natsu blushed slightly, "Well… it's just. I've not… done this… before" he admitted with an odd shyness like he had never experienced. Sting smiled hearing this news.

"That's okay, I've not either" he replied, before shooting Natsu a confident grin. Natsu gave a slightly surprised look, before allowing a smile to take over his own face. "We'll be each other's first" Sting stated, earning a nod from Natsu.

"Okay" Natsu agreed, before he leaned in to give Sting one more short-but-sweet kiss, before the White Dragon flung open their bedroom door and took Natsu inside.

Once in the safety of their bedroom, Sting began to feel the heat rise up in his body. He was aware that Dragon Slayers would often experience an intense burning passion when in the grips of heat, however he had never thought it would be _this_ bad. Wrapping his arms around Natsu's body, Sting directed the pinkette to the edge of the bed. When Natsu felt the soft mattress touch the back of his legs, he sat down. This gave Sting the opportunity he had been waiting for, and he perched himself on Natsu's lap, before leaning in close. "Natsu… I really… really... want this. But I need to know if you're actually okay with this too" the blond said in a deep voice, full of want. Natsu smiled.

"Sting… I think I've wanted this since the theme park, so can we please… not stop any more" the pinkette replied. Natsu's words were met with a slightly predatory grin from Sting, before the White Dragon pressed his lips to the Fire Dragon's, his tongue immediately pressing at them for entrance. Natsu gave this willingly, and as their tongues began to battle inside their mouths, Sting pushed Natsu down on the bed. "Natsu…" he breathed slightly, before sitting up and allowing the pinkette to slide further onto the mattress. Sting wasted no time in unbuttoning his shirt and revealing his tightly woven muscular torso, the product of his very many years of training. Natsu ogled the body freely, a faint smile passing over his lips as his eyes caught Sting's and the two knew what the other was thinking.

 _This is really happening…_

As Sting crawled back onto the bed, Natsu threw off his waistcoat to reveal his own body. Sting had already had plenty of time to observe Natsu shirtless on their beach job, however seeing that stripping action, and the subsequently revealed body, up close gave the White Dragon far more pleasure than he had expected. Leaning on top of Natsu, the pair kissed once more.

As their tongues rolled over each other for a second time, Sting directed his hands over all of Natsu's body, loving the feel of each individual muscle as it moved beneath his touch. Natsu's skin was very warm and soft, although it was marred here and there by scars that remained well after those that inflicted them had been defeated by the fiery pink-haired Mage. Sting couldn't help the throb of heat that pulsed through his body as he imagined what Natsu's skin would feel like slickened with sweat and other fluids. "Mmm… Natsu…" he groaned into the kiss.

Natsu had been having similar thoughts as he slipped his arms up Sting's shirt, feeling the tight muscles of Sting's shoulders, as the White Dragon's abs rubbed against his own. "S-sting…" Natsu mewled a little, as Sting began to become more dominant in their kiss. Natsu would never had called himself a particularly submissive person, however here, under Sting, he could think of nothing better than to be dominated by the blond.

Breaking up from their heated make-out session, Sting and Natsu took one last look at each other, before they began to undress further. Sting threw his shirt aside, before he kicked off his shoes, and then began to unbutton his trousers. Natsu on the other hand slid his trousers and sandals off in one swift motion, before he reached to help Sting with his own belt. "Seriously, who wears a belt if they're planning something like this?" Natsu questioned the blond, who stopped trying to remove his own clothes, and instead decided to trail kisses down his new boyfriend's jawline and neck.

"I don't… know… who does… Natsu?" Sting replied in between kisses, before he changed tact to nibble along the pinkette's earlobe. "Maybe someone who… wanted a little time to be able… to do stuff like this?" Sting whispered as he leaned up from his short-lived attack against the Fire Dragon's ear and jaw, his belt now completely loosened. Natsu rolled his eyes at Sting, as the White Dragon Slayer slid off his trousers. Then the pair were only left with their underwear, and the massive tents that they had formed.

Natsu was the first to make a move, attempting to pull down his underwear, before Sting reached to stop him by grabbing his wrist. "Someone's a little too eager" the blond mocked, before shooting Natsu a wide grin. "I want to be the one to do that… and then… maybe a little more" he added in a darkly sensual voice. Natsu did not resist Sting's attempt to stop him, that voice alone was enough to make him stop and shiver a little in pleasure.

Sting leaned down on top of Natsu, biting his lip. "I'm gonna make this one hell of a first time, for us both" he whispered, before beginning to kiss Natsu. This kiss led to another and then another, as Sting slid further and further down the Fire Dragon's body, right until he came to Natsu's nipple. "I'm starting here, and then…" Sting stroked his fingers over Natsu's clothed, hardened member, " _I'm going to have a little fun with this_ " he hissed. Natsu barely had time to respond, let alone process everything he was experiencing, before the blond completely consumed his nipple with his mouth. Sucking, playing around with his tounge, and then sucking again, Sting drove Natsu mad with just this small action, and the feeling of his other hand playing around with the other nipple, pinching it between his fingers. "Sting… agh…" Natsu let out a moan. Sting smiled at his handiwork, opting to usher more delicious noises from the Fire Dragon Slayer. "S-Sting… ah… ahhh…" Natsu continued to moan, as he ran his fingers through Sting's blond hair, tugging it just enough to tease rather than stop the White Dragon Slayer.

After enjoying enough of those beautiful moans, Sting decided that he should move on to the first event, and he left Natsu's nipple with one last slightly rough tug at the bud. Kissing lower, Sting looked up Natsu's body, enjoying the deep want that had formed in the pinkette's eyes as they stared back at him; it made him immensely happy to see Natsu so into this. Kissing lower and lower, Sting reached the waistband of Natsu's underwear, and then with one final, predatory smirk, he gripped the sides of the cloth before pulling them off completely. "Woah…" Sting breathed slightly, as he saw Natsu's member for the first time. It was big, but perhaps a little bit smaller than his own, and a little thicker than his too. Licking his lips involuntarily, Sting looked up to Natsu. The pinkette blushed slightly at the hungry gaze of the blond. "Well don't just stare…" Natsu complained, in a voice that clearly showed he was harbouring some embarrassment. Sting chuckled.

"If it'll make you feel better…" the blond reached for his own underwear, before pulling them off. "There" Sting declared, as he stood completely naked before the pinkette. Natsu couldn't help but smile at Sting's confident actions; plus, Sting knew Natsu would be eyeing him up. _Nothing wrong with giving him a little sneak peek before what's gonna come later…_ Sting thought to himself, as he leaned back so his face was level with Natsu's cock. After a moment or so, Sting decided that he would start. _How should I do this?_ He thought for a moment.

Smiling to himself, Sting began by kissing the tip. Then he gave a few experimental licks, before licking all the way from the slit to the base of the shaft and back again. Natsu seemed to enjoy this, as the pinkette began to run his hands through Sting's blond locks once more. Tasting Natsu's member for the first time, Sting felt a great amount of curiosity, that made him want to do more. Experimentally, Sting tried to flick his tongue over Natsu's slit a couple of times, to get perfect results as Natsu once more verbalised his pleasure most excellently. "Agh… good, Sting…" Natsu moaned. This encouraged the blond, who then continued with this motion for a little while longer.

After a short period of licking, Sting decided it was time to try taking Natsu's member into his mouth. Giving a final lick to Natsu's tip, Sting began to surround Natsu's head with his mouth. The White Dragon never broke eye contact with the pinkette as he lowered his head further down the length of his cock. Once he reached as far as he could, Sting began to raise his head up off the length, before descending once more. With each bob of his head, Sting found it easier and easier to take more into his mouth, however he found it a little too difficult to make it _all_ the way down. Yet.

Natsu didn't seem to mind this at all, however, as the pinkette was lost in his own world of sensation. Most of this was new to him, he had never bothered to even try sucking someone off or letting himself be sucked off, and now doing this with Sting he started to question why he put it off. "Sting… this is… really good…" the pinkette said with a slightly far-away quality to his voice. Sting smile a little, as he began to add more motions to his pattern. Down, up, flick slit with tongue, repeat. It became a rhythm of pure pleasure for Natsu, and soon the pinkette reached his limit. "Sting… I'm gonna come…" Natsu warned. Sting grinned, before he increased the speed of his actions, driving Natsu closer to the edge. Soon it overwhelmed the Fire Dragon, and he released his seed into the White Dragons awaiting mouth. Sting swallowed as much as he could, however a small amount escaped him, and as he pulled off this dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

"Hmm… this is interesting…" Sting commented on the new taste he was experiencing. Despite all the complaints he had heard from guys and girls before, about how semen could taste bad, he did not find this to be particularly unpleasant. "Not bad Natsu" Sting smiled. Natsu smiled back.

"That was fun" the pinkette beamed. Sting smirked.

"You like that then?" he asked. Natsu nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah!" he said energetically. Sting smirked darker.

"Good… however… there's still more to come yet" the White Dragon said through a hooded gaze. Natsu frowned, before he looked directly at Stings hard and throbbing member.

"You… want me to do that to you?" he asked with a note of uncertainty. Sting shook his head, as his smirk evolved into a wide grin, laden with hidden lusts and possibilities, some of which Natsu could not fathom.

"No… I've got something better in mind. Don't worry, it should make you feel good too" the White Dragon Slayer said, before he leant down and began to kiss Natsu, entering the pinkette's mouth without being given permission. Natsu quickly allowed for this to happen, as intrigue, heightened by the taste of his own semen delivered on Sting's invading tounge, made him open his mouth and accept the kiss. "Sting… what are you…" Natsu began to question the other Dragon Slayers actions as Sting broke away and began to slide his hand down Natsu's body, before stopping somewhere around Natsu's thigh. He caressed the area softly.

"Natsu… I want to be inside you" Sting said, in a tone of voice that made it seem like he was saying the most average, normal thing in the world. Natsu's eyebrows raised a little, before he smiled.

"Alright, you shoulda just said" he smirked. Now it was Sting's turned to give a surprised expression.

"You're completely okay with that?" he asked. Natsu nodded.

"I am. I said I wanted to do all this with you, plus it's only fair after you just sucked me off and stuff" the pinkette responded, with a cocky smirk. "Or are you just surprised that I'd lie down and let you do it?" Natsu asked.

Sting smirked back at the Fire Dragon Slayer. "I guess I am… a little" he admitted. Natsu laughed.

"You're so easy to read" he chuckled, before he gave a slightly more wicked smirk, "But you gotta remember one thing; next time I might not let you get away so easy. I'll be the one topping!" Natsu added with a defiant tone of voice. Sting shrugged.

"I'm okay with that, so long as it's you topping me I don't mind having to get down" the White Dragon laughed. "However… since you've given me permission…" Sting's eyes trailed down Natsu's body before returning to the pinkette's cute-but-handsome face. After a short exchange of stares, Sting and Natsu both smiled, before leaning in for another kiss.

As the pairs lips connected for another passionate kiss, Sting began to straddle Natsu. The hand with which he had been caressing Natsu's leg, moved back up the pinkette's body, before it rested itself on Natsu's cheek. Once the pair finished their short oral exchange, Sting wiggled his two fingers in front of Natsu's mouth. The pinkette eyed them for a moment. "Suck 'em Natsu" Sting instructed in a faintly amused tone of voice. Natsu did as he was told and took the two digits into his mouth. Natsu used his tongue to get them both coated with as much saliva as he could, before Sting deemed them slick enough and then removed them from Natsu's mouth.

"You ready for this Natsu?" Sting asked, as he lined the first digit up with Natsu's hole. Just before Natsu nodded, a slightly puzzled look came across his face. "What is it?" Sting asked, reading the other Dragon Slayers facial expression instantly. Natsu pouted.

"Er… Sting, I know you prepared for all this but… you do have lube, right?" the pinkette asked. Sting smiled upon hearing Natsu's question, before nodding.

"Yeah, why, would you prefer it if I used that on my fingers too?" he asked. Natsu shook his head.

"Nah, I'm okay with you doing _that_ part with just spit, but… I just would feel more comfortable if… you know…" he gave a mildly embarrassed expression. Sting chuckled slightly.

"It's okay, we're both new to this, so it's okay for you to say that you don't want it to hurt too much" Sting stated with a reassuring tone of voice. Natsu frowned.

"Hey, don't go puttin' words in my mouth! I just want to make sure this is good, and it's all done properly" the Fire Dragon Slayer barked. Sting just continued to chuckle.

"Well… at least that's the spirit" he reasoned, before he moved back to holding the first of his slickened digits at Natsu's hole. "Now… are you ready?" he asked. Natsu nodded, this time with much more confidence. "Okay" Sting beamed, before he leaned down to kiss Natsu, and distract him from the feeling of the first finger entering.

Natsu gave a muffled noise as he felt the first finger enter, however it did not feel like he was making this out of any particular discomfiture. "I'm gonna make sure this feels good for you, Natsu" Sting whispered to the pinkette as he broke off kissing Natsu's lips to instead grin wickedly. Sting then began kissing along Natsu's jawline before he followed the same trail down Natsu's neck and chest as he had done only a short while ago.

Natsu recognised the trail Sting was leaving and immediately realised what the blond was going to do. Sure enough, after a minute or so Sting's mouth latched on to the opposite nipple from the one he had attacked before he sucked Natsu off a few moments ago. "Agh… again…" Natsu breathed as Sting's tounge more expertly now began to play around with the pink bud. Whilst Sting continued to make Natsu feel good, the blond entered a second slickened digit into the pinkette's ass. "Ahh, Sting…" Natsu moaned as he felt the two digits begin to be moved around inside his butt, stretching the hole.

Sting smiled at his work, as Natsu breathing got a little heavier. "Like that Natsu?" the blond purred in as heated a tone as he could manage.

"Sting… move 'em more" Natsu grinned back. Sting did not need to be told twice, and after only a second, he had Natsu writhing as his fingers were moved in and out at a much more rapid pace, scissoring as they moved.

Once Sting deemed Natsu's entrance to be loosened enough, he withdrew his fingers. Natsu made a noise of displeasure as the feeling of being filled was removed. Sting shook his head. "Don't worry, it'll be back soon" he said, before he stood up off Natsu, and leaned over the side of the bed to reach for the side table on his side of the bed. Opening the drawer at the top, Sting produced a small bottle of lube, before smirking at Natsu. "Bet you didn't think this had been here all this time" the blond mused. Natsu shrugged.

"It's not really my business what you put in there" the pinkette replied, before he smiled lustfully, "However… I do care about what you put in _there_ " he added, before gesturing to his ass, which was begging for the next thing that to enter it. Sting could barely keep himself contained anymore seeing Natsu in such a horny and desperate state. "Well… fuck, I can't hold it back any more" Sting said, as he clambered back on top of Natsu, and removed the top of the lube bottle. The White Dragon Slayer hurriedly coated his hard cock in the slippery substance, before he added an additional amount to Natsu's ass for good measure. "There. This was how you wanted it, right _Natsu_?" Sting purred to the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, now put it in… _please_ " Natsu begged in a whiney tone of voice. Sting shivered slightly at that voice coming from the male.

Sting lined up his cock with Natsu's prepped hole, before he smiled, finally ready and able to claim the thing he wanted more than anything for so long. "Someone's impatient" Sting commented, before he pushed the length into Natsu.

"Ahhhh…" Natsu moaned loudly, as the slight burning pain of being entered filled his system. Slowly Sting buried himself right up to the hilt and then waited on Natsu to say that he was okay before he would begin to move. Natsu gave it a minute, then smiled. "You can move Sting" he stated. The White Dragon Slayer nodded, the feeling of Natsu's insides quickly taking any sense he had left, as that tight heat enveloped his cock in the most pleasurable way imaginable.

Allowed to move, Sting didn't hold back. He pulled his hips back and forth, increasing his pace as he found a steady rhythm. With each thrust Natsu moaned with increasing volume, however it was only after a few experimentally angled thrusts that Natsu made the noise Sting really wanted to here. "AHH… there, fuck… Sting, there" he moaned with more volume than any of his previous noises. Sting smiled, before he began to bore down on that spot with each of his thrusts.

As each thrust came harder and faster, it was not long until Sting was ushering pleasured moans out of his mouth uncontrollably, just as Natsu had done so many times that night. Natsu saw Sting through lust-lidded eyes and all he could think was how beautiful he looked, with his face contorted into a pleasured smile, his muscles coated in droplets of sweat from all the activity. Their enjoyment was immense, but short lived. "Sting… I think I'm gonna come" Natsu barked out in amongst another few moans. Sting nodded.

"Yeah… m-me too" the White Dragon replied breathlessly, "Let's do it together" he added. Natsu smiled, he loved to here Sting in such a pleasured, breathless state.

"Okay" Natsu agreed. After a few more erratic thrusts, Natsu came over his and Sting's stomachs. "Sting…" Natsu gasped as the ropes of hot white seed escaped his cock and covered his chest.

Sting could barely contain himself, seeing Natsu covered in his own seed, and the muscular contractions causing him to tighten around the blonde's member pushed Sting over the edge too. "Fuck… Natsu… I'm coming" Sting moaned, as he released his long-held load inside of the pinkette. Natsu felt the thick white substance fill his ass, and it made him feel an odd sensation of joy.

After a few moments Sting pulled out and lay beside his new lover and boyfriend. "That was fun" he commented with a happy smile as his afterglow made him feel all warm inside. Natsu agreed with a slight nod of his head.

"Yeah, it was…" he chuckled, before he leaned over and kissed Sting's cheek. "Thank you for this night… it was amazing" he added. Sting chuckled, and rolled so that he was on his side, facing Natsu.

"I'm glad you liked it… boyfriend" he smiled. Natsu laughed a little.

"That sounds kinda odd. But it's not bad" he mused. Sting chuckled.

"Well whatever, you agreed to it, so I can call you what I like, right?" the White Dragon Slayer giggled, before he wrapped an arm around Natsu and lay close.

"I guess so… but, er… Sting" Natsu gave a slight blush, which made Sting coo internally.

"What is it Natsu?" he asked. Natsu pouted.

"I don't not want to be with you, but… can we keep it quiet just until everything with the debt and stuff is sorted out?" Natsu looked to Sting with a slightly concerned expression, however Sting just smiled.

"Yeah, that's okay. We might have to keep this quiet for now anyways, since I'm a guild master and everything… we'll have to see what we should do before we go telling everybody, in case it ends up affecting Sabertooth and Fairy Tail" Sting stated. Natsu nodded in understanding.

"Okay" he agreed, before a small yawn escaped his mouth. "But for now… I'm glad I got to do this with you" Natsu said in a sleepy voice. Sting smiled contently to hear those words come from Natsu's mouth. The White Dragon Slayer nuzzled Natsu close to him, as they both fell into a peaceful sleep, their scents mixing and relaxing them to a deep slumber.

"I'm happy I got to be with you too, Natsu" Sting said, before he and the pinkette both fell fast asleep. Each dreaming of the other, and of the stuff they had done together.

/

 **Hargeon Outskirts, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, Midnight**

 **General Perspective**

There figures stood waiting on the outskirts of the harbour town, their fourth member late on arriving. "What is taking him so long?" one of the three complained bitterly. Another shrugged.

"Maybe those two puppets of his tried to do something stupid and he is busy cleaning the mess up?" they reasoned, before the crossed their arms. The three were not a bunch to be kept waiting, usually, however for this particular individual they could afford to give up some time.

Not long after midnight, the awaited fourth appeared. "Well well, gentlemen. You missed all the fun" they said as they stepped out from the shadows of night to look upon the trio. The man, with black haired slickened back, grinned wickedly.

"You said you had two captives" one of the three muttered. The black-haired man muttered something under his breath, before he gave a wide smile to his compatriots.

"Ah yes… they escaped. Although not without the odd cut" he chuckled. The trio all groaned.

"So, you made us come all the way out here for nothing?!" they whined. The man with black haired shrugged.

"It was not for nothing though, one of my captives did certainly have some _interesting_ information in his head that I was able to extract" the black-haired man stated, before he took out a pocket watch and checked the time, "However it looks like it's time for us to leave. Can't keep the Young Masters waiting" he added.

One of the burlier members of the group scoffed. "Just how are you going to explain your failure to _them_ I wonder" they mumbled in a slightly sadistic tone. The black-haired man laughed.

"Who said it was a failure?" he mused, which earned confused looks from all of the three men. "You see… I have a plan. I was able to gather an interesting bit of information from that pink-haired Dragon Slayers head about a certain Zollzero child. I was thinking, perhaps, that we could prepare a little present for them" he stated. This did not remove the looks of confusion from the three's faces, however it did ignite a little interesting within each of them.

Turning to set off the man with black hair looked over his shoulder. "Come, I'll explain everything on the way" he said. So, the three followed him, as he explained a plan that had each of them burning with passion.

They each wanted to see the downfall of the Zollzero family for a while now… and through this, they reckoned they could do it.

/

 **Beach House, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, the following morning,**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I awoke sticky, covered in dried semen from the night before. Looking to my side I saw Natsu grinning like a maniac, his rounded face warped by his smile, his eyes glittering like the most beautiful jewels. "G'Morning" he greeted me. I smiled.

"Good morning" I replied, "Did you wake up a while ago… or…" I trailed off as Natsu shrugged.

"Not that long ago. I was gonna wake you, but then I thought about how cute you looked when you were asleep and I decided not to" Natsu said in a playful tone. I sighed.

"Well thank you for letting me snooze the day away then" I replied, before leaning in to give the pinkette a soft but shot kiss. Natsu kissed me back freely, and I felt a shot of happiness as I remembered everything that had gone on the previous evening.

"So, what time is it?" I asked the pinkette as I pulled away. Natsu shrugged and glanced over at the clock.

"It's… 'bout… 7AM" he said, before turning back to me, "Plenty of time to get this all cleaned up before we have to leave" he added. I nodded, although it hadn't occurred to me the previous night, we did technically only rent this place, and so the mess we had made of the beds, and of ourselves, would definitely have to be dealt with before we handed the keys in at the allotted time of 1PM.

"We should probably shower first, then we can deal with everything else" I stated, as I attempted to get up, only to be grabbed by Natsu from behind and pulled back into the bed. "Wait, Natsu!" I cried out as I was tackled by the pinkette.

"Don't go yet" Natsu stated. I looked to him with a surprised face.

"Why?" I asked. _Surely, he can't want to have sex again just after waking up_ I thought to myself.

Natsu smiled. "I had an idea whilst you were asleep" the pinkette stated, "I think you might _enjoy_ it" he added with a chuckle. I sighed, as my previous thought seemed to have been incorrect.

Frowning at the pinkette, I shook my head. "We can't fuck again Natsu" I said, "It'd just mean more mess to deal with".

Natsu laughed. "I knew you'd say that, but that's not what I was suggesting" he stated knowingly, with a slightly cocky tone to his voice as well.

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay then, what's this idea?" I asked him. Natsu smirked.

"How about we use this place's _facilities_ to get ourselves clean together… and then we clean-up" the Dragon Slayer stated. I smiled.

"So, what you're asking is do I wanted to take a bath with you?" I replied in a suspicious, yet amused, tone of voice. Natsu shrugged.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I'm heading there now" the pinkette stated, sitting up in the bed, "I'm just telling you so that, you know… just so you don't have to track me down" he added with a wink as he got up and began to head towards the door. He lingered at the entrance for a moment, before laughing and heading off. I shook my head for a moment, before a mental image had me bounding after him. _Natsu naked, with water dripping over his body…_ that mental image was all the fuel I needed to get me through the day.

"Alright, you made your point" I said, as I caught up with the other male, kissing him fleetingly before we both entered the hot-tub area of the beach house to enjoy our last bit of time together before we would have to head back.

/

After that interesting start to the morning, this pretty much progressed at an equally as interesting rate. We handed the key in at the desk for the beach house, thanking the manager for his hospitality and kindness. He graciously accepted the key, before thanking us whole-heartedly for our assistance. On the way out, Coral came up to us and also offered us her thanks for helping her deal with Lynn, even though the blonde Water Mage had not been seen since the incident. We thanked her for her help in rescuing Natsu, before we headed out quite merrily back to Fairy Tail.

The walk back to the guild was pleasant and uneventful. The weather was perfectly warm and nice, and we even had the money left over to stop at a café I knew on the way back, although it was somewhat of a detour. Natsu had to pay, since I had blown all my available cash on the date, however we made sure to keep the necessary money to hand over to the Zollzero's from the job, as well as the money I needed to pay for my hotel room back in Magnolia. I could afford to sit through another lecture from Rogue if I forgot to pay for _that_ at least. Especially after all the trouble we went through when the Shadow Dragon Slayer had last visited Fairy Tail.

Whilst we walked, Natsu and I discussed our new relationship, quizzing each other in order to get even more information about our likes, dislikes, as well as both our similarities and differences. I learned quite a lot about my crush-turned-boyfriend from just a short amount of questions and soon we were just walking happily beside each other, our hands intertwined since there was no-one about to see us.

When we arrived back in Magnolia, Natsu decided to leave me, although not willingly it would seem. "Sorry, Sting, but I agreed with Happy that I'd go tell him when I got back. Can you go to the guild and make our payment on the debt?" the pinkette asked me, after apologising profusely for having to abandon me. I just smiled and nodded.

"Sure, I can, Natsu, just don't forget to come find me later, okay?" I asked. The Fire Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Yeah, oh… and we're still keeping this all a secret for now too, right?" Natsu asked, as he leaned in close to me. This could very well be the last time we could kiss for a little while, so he seemed reluctant to let it end without a little bit of closeness. That made me feel happier about him leaving at least.

"We can keep it a secret. If it comes to it though, we might have to tell a few people and hoep they keep quiet too" I said, "At some point we might need to tell Makarov too. As Guildmaster of Fairy Tail, this could end up affecting the guild so he should probably be told too" I added with a slightly more serious tone of voice. Natsu nodded, before he leaned in to me to give me a quick kiss.

"Does that mean I can tell Happy then?" he asked me. I nodded without even thinking about it.

"I guess so… actually, I guess it would be kinda fair" I replied, which made Natsu pout.

"Why is that Sting?" he questioned me, his eyes trying to burrow their way into my head. I realised what I had said too late, and floundered under Natsu's gaze.

"Er… well…" I stammered, "I didn't want to mention this before, but a couple of people _may_ already know that I have a crush on you" I admitted, my face going a few shades redder as I acknowledged this fact. Natsu eyed me suspiciously.

"Like…" he prompted me for more information.

"Like… Lector" I said carefully.

Natsu shrugged, "I guess I can understand that" he butted in.

"And Rogue… and Frosch too… and I think Yukino suspects something as well" I added in a hurried breath. Natsu sighed, a pout forming on his lips.

"Just them though, right?" he questioned me further. I nodded. After a moment Natsu's pout turned to a smile. "Then I guess that's okay. If I tell Happy then that only makes five people who know, plus one extra who only suspects, and I don't think any of them would mind us being together" Natsu stated. I nodded, thankful of Natsu's easy-going and understanding nature.

"Rogue always keeps asking me if I got anywhere with you, it will be pretty funny when we tell him that we're together" I said. Natsu nodded.

"We?" the pinkette grinned, noting my use of the word with interest. I nodded.

"Yeah, it's only fair. We should tell them together at least" I stated, with a tone of voice that was surprised that Natsu would think of just blabbering this information away freely, even if it was towards our friends. "Right?" I asked him. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so… does that mean I should wait on telling Happy then? I was gonna tell him now, but…" he trailed off, seemingly leaving this up to me. I shrugged.

"I guess it'd be okay if just you told him, but if you'd prefer we could do it discretely either at your place, or even at the guild, if you wanted to do it together" I stated. Natsu gave this a moment of thought, before smiling. He leaned in and kissed me again, before pulling off.

"Hey, I've got an idea. I'll meet you at the guild later, around… 6PM, okay?" he said as he moved to leave quite quickly. I was confused as to Natsu's sudden change of energy, moving from being reluctant to leave, to suddenly wanting to dash off and abandon me. All the same I was intrigued by what plan he had clearly just concocted in his head. With an interested smile, I nodded.

"Alright, I'll just go to the guild and pay off our debt, then go home or do something and meet you back at the guild at six" I called out, as the pinkette got a little farther away. Natsu nodded.

"Fine, see ya later then" he cheered, before leaving me alone. I watched Natsu dash off, and then began to set off to the guild just like I said I would. All the way there I questioned what the hell Natsu was thinking, however no matter how much I tried, I just could not fathom the pinkette's though process.

Only when I got to the guild did something else grab my attention. "Hello Sting" a voice greeted me from the entrance to the Fairy Tail guild hall. Looking up at the source, I saw three figures, two I knew particularly well, and one that quite surprised me.

"It's been a while Master Eucliffe" Medea Zollzero greeted me.

"I trust you are keeping up on your debts" Edric grinned.

I looked to them all. "Well… this is a little surprise" I commented.

/

After meeting Edric and Medea at the guild entrance I decided to pay off mine and Natsu's section of debt money directly. Edric accepted the money, commenting on the continued lack of Kenji around the guild. I mostly just smiled in order to keep up appearances, however it wasn't long before he and Medea left me, and I could go to the bar alone with Rogue.

Ordering a beer from Mirajane, I sat down next to the black-haired Dragon Slayer. "Well I'm surprised to see you back here. On the way back from that job you were heading out on last time?" I asked Rogue. The Shadow Dragon Slayer smirked.

"I finished that ages ago. I'm actually heading out on another job; however, I need some very _particular_ help from a couple of the wizards here. There's no one in our guild that could help me at the moment, since everyone's still busy paying off the debt" Rogue commented. I nodded.

"So… who's help do you need?" I asked him with a faint smile. When I had proposed an alliance with Makarov, Rogue had been unsure as to what exact help Fairy Tail could offer us, especially considering its disbandment after the Tartaros incident. It made me somewhat happy to hear the Shadow Dragon approaching our allies so freely for help now. _Although I suppose this debt does change things a bit…_ I reasoned.

Rogue seemed to grow quite after my question, however he did offer an answer, eventually. "Gray Fullbuster" Rogue said in a level tone of voice. I raised my eyebrows.

"Gray? Why him?" I asked. Rogue smiled.

"As a Devil Slayer, his powers could be helpful for the Blight-Destroying job I'm on. Orga could've probably helped, but he was on a job, so I figured Gray might be available instead, and as it happens he was" the Shadow Dragon explained. I nodded in understanding.

"I suppose it helps pay for the debt, so it doesn't matter where the job comes from" I reasoned. Rogue nodded.

"Speaking of debt, how are you and Natsu doing?" he asked, with a subtle smile.

I sighed. "We're working hard" I stated, "I'm pulling my weight. In fact, I only just got back from a job today, and after having this drink I'm going to go pay for the hotel room I'm staying in" I added with a proud smile. Rogue chuckled to himself.

"I'm glad our Master is able to work so hard" he said, before he leaned in, "Especially when he's having such _tiring_ nights" the Shadow Dragon added in a knowing tone. I went wide-eyed at his comment. _How did he… oh shit, my scent… does that mean Gajeel and Wendy know?_ I looked around for a sign of either of the other Dragon Slayers. Luckily, they both appeared to be absent from the guild this afternoon. Rogue seemed to notice my sudden frantic action. "Don't worry, Gajeel and Wendy aren't here. Although, if you are actually trying to hide this, then I would probably clean up more thoroughly" the Shadow Dragon commented in a low tone. I leaned a little closer to him. _Sorry Natsu, looks like we didn't get to tell people together_ I thought.

"Okay, we need to talk. Come with me to my hotel" I said. Rogue just smiled.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Besides, I can't come even if I wanted to, since I will be leaving with Gray any minute" he stated. I sighed.

"Well… okay fine. Just make sure you don't tell anyone" I said exasperated. Rogue nodded, before he got up. Gray approached us, and after a quick exchange of pleasantries with me, they both set off.

Watching the two leave I suddenly got very paranoid about other's finding out. Wondering how to solve this problem I drank my beer and then set off to the hotel in order to pay my fees. Spending the rest of the day training in my room, I couldn't help but ponder this issue all day.

Unfortunately, I still didn't have an answer when I returned to the guild that evening. Despite that issue remaining unsolved, as soon as my eyes locked onto Natsu, I found I couldn't focus on it any more.

After all, I was already intrigued by what plan Natsu had rushed off to prepare.

 **End of Chapter 14**

 **Chapter Hint; Fishing for Trouble**


	15. Chapter 15 - Fishing for Trouble

**Chapter 15 – Fishing for Trouble**

 **Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I strode into the warm light of the Fairy Tail guild at around 6:10 PM, a bright smile forming on my face from cheek to cheek. It took no less than ten seconds for me to locate the person I was looking for, as Sting practically glowed, sitting with an equally as bright smile at the bar. I walked over to him with as much nonchalance as I could, trying to hide my excitement from all my friends and guildmates; I didn't want them to begin asking annoying questions, not when I had plans with Sting. "Hiya Sting!" I greeted the blond as I sat down at the bar stool beside him. Sting smirked back at me; clearly, he was also as excited as I was, however I thought he was doing a far better job of hiding it.

"Hi Natsu" he replied, before he looked around with a slight frown, "Happy's not with you?" he commented in surprise. I nodded, my smile breaking across my features as Sting noted the absence of flying feline.

"No, he's not here. We will be seeing him later though" I said, giving a slight nudge to Sting, in order to peak his interest as much as I could before I revealed my plans. This prompted the blond to lean in with a questioning gaze.

"Have you said anything?" he asked me. I just smirked as a response.

"Maaaaybe… maybe not" I chuckled, before I checked the time. "Although, we should be going soon if we're to make it before it gets dark" I added, trying to change the topic. Sting nodded, before finishing the drink he had been nursing. I watched his actions with great amusement. _He's either worried, or really excited about this… since he's acting quick like that_ I thought to myself. After the White Dragon Slayer placed his empty glass back down on the counter top, he looked to me. I knew what he was going to ask me, so I just gave a reply pre-emptively. "Let's go" I said, before getting up and motioning for the blond to follow me. Sting moved to do so, falling into step to my right. As we left Lucy looked over to us, smiling and asking us where we were going. I stopped and gave her the lie I had prepared earlier; that Sting and I were going to do some Dragon Slayer training together. She seemed surprised by this, but didn't push me for any more details, and so both Sting and I took the opportunity to leave. After that brief encounter, it wasn't long before we were out in the open air.

Just before we left, however, a voice piped up from the wall of the guild's exit. "We're you two lovebirds off to at this time?" Edric quipped as the Card Mage moved to step out of the shadows of the outer wall of the guildhall and into our field of vision.

"Lovebirds?" I questioned him. A flicker of a smirk passed over the blond boy's lips.

"So that's how you're playing this" he mused, before he flicked his eyes to scan the interior of the guild. "Regardless… I was just hanging around waiting for Medea to show up, she's not in the guild, is she?" Edric asked in a more casual tone. I pouted and shrugged.

"I've just got here, but I can't smell her. It's pretty easy too, what with all that damned expensive perfume or stuff she puts on" I commented. Edric chuckled.

"You haven't seen her, or rather _smelled_ her, either I take it, Master Eucliffe?" he asked, directing his gaze at the blond beside me. Sting shook his head.

"No, but I haven't been here long either" Sting replied, before a slight upturning of the mouth signalled he wanted to make another comment "Natsu's right though, if she had been here we would've _definitely_ smelled her" Sting chuckled. Edric raised an eyebrow.

"You're sure you wanna say that to the people you're indebted to?" he questioned us. Both Sting and I stopped ourselves laughing midbreath as Edric's words suddenly put a heavy weight on us. After a moment observing our joint reaction, Edric fell about laughing, a wide smile on his features. "Wow, that actually made you worried for a second there" he chuckled, "I mean… okay, I guess that was a bit mean of me, but I didn't expect you to take that seriously" he said, right before some movement caught our attention.

"Edric, perfect timing" a voice said as another person approached the guild from the street. Medea, flanked by Haruki Himura, strode up to us. "Ah… and why if it isn't the two darling Dragon Slayers" the female Zollzero family member added upon noticing Sting and my presences. We both nodded to her; unlike her brother, who seemed to be a bit more childish and jovial, Medea carried a weight about her, with her words each being expressed in such a way that you just knew she was trouble. Sting seemed to momentarily tense beside me; _Probably remembering their fight_ I thought for a fleeting moment, before my eyes fixed onto Haruki.

The teenage Bullet Mage smirked at me from his position slightly behind Medea. "Hello again Sting and Natsu" he commented.

Edric looked between us all for a moment. "I take it you wanna speak to me, sister?" he asked Medea, who nodded.

"Yes, it seems Thomas has been in contact, and Arthur has some words to share with you" she informed Edric. The teen nodded, before moving over to Haruki and giving him a slight nudge.

"Come on then, let's go" he said, before turning to both me and Sting, "See you later, _lovebirds_ " he added. Sting and I both scowled at Edric for a moment, before we also replied with a quick 'goodbye'. As the trio of Zollzero Mages entered the guild, Medea looked over her shoulder at us.

"Oh… and just so you two uncultured lizards know, I only wear the _best,_ most _expensive_ perfumes" she said, before walking off. Sting and I both had a momentary shiver of fear as the slightly venomous tone that Medea used sank into our very bones.

As we set off once more into the now dimly lit streets of Magnolia, Sting and I both wondered exactly the same thing; _were we so bad at not making things obvious that it only took even people like Edric and Medea, who've only known us for a short time, a few seconds to realise what was going between us?_

It seemed unlikely, however it was a fear that stuck to each of us for the remainder of the night.

/

We arrived at our intended location when darkness had taken hold of the land. "This is the place?" Sting asked me, as he looked upon Happy and my makeshift campsite with slight confusion.

"Oh… you're here!" Happy said, as the exceed left the comfort of the quite large tent that had been set up to greet both me and Sting.

I smiled at him. "Hey buddy, sorry it took so long to get back" I greeted the flying feline.

Happy shook his head. "It's fine. It gave me time to tidy up a little, since you're so messy Natsu" Happy smirked. I looked to Sting and gave a slight pout.

"I'm not that messy" I stated. Happy shrugged and sighed, before looking to Sting.

"I'm glad you could come, at least it means I don't have to put up with Natsu all by myself for a day" Happy stated, earning a glare from me. Sting on the other hand just smiled.

"I can see where you're coming from" he mused, "I mean… I'm stuck with Natsu on all our jobs at the minute… oh, and you're definitely messy Natsu. Just remember how all your clothes were strewn about on our last job" Sting added, before sending me a veiled smirk.

Happy laughed alongside Sting, whilst I gave an annoyed pout. "So, it's not just me that thinks so!" Happy cheered in victory. I folded my arms.

"Why are you both picking on my all of a sudden?" I questioned in a mock-upset tone of voice. Sting patted me on the shoulder.

"We're not picking on you Natsu, just… making fun of you" the White Dragon Slayer said.

"THAT'S THE SAME THING!" I growled annoyedly. Sting sighed.

"Okay Natsu…" he said, before looking to Happy. "So, what are we doing now then, Happy? Do you need me to help with anything?" he asked my partner. Happy shook his head.

"You and Natsu can just sit back, I've brought the fish for dinner tonight, and then Natsu can cook 'em with his fire" Happy instructed me. I nodded in understanding, whilst the White Dragon Slayer smiled.

"Okay" Sting agreed, before looking to me, "Come on then grumpy, let's sit down" he laughed.

I scowled at him. "I'm suddenly regretting askin' you to come" I mumbled, before I took a seat beside the fire with Sting. Everything in camp had been prepared by me and Happy earlier that day, including the fishing of the fish that Happy was now getting from the tent. _I just hope this goes okay…_ I thought to myself for a moment, before I noticed Sting giving me a funny look. I furrowed my brows at him.

"What's up?" I whispered, being careful so as not to alert Happy to our conversation. Sting shrugged and leaned in a little.

"I was just wondering… is this what you brought me here for, a camping trip with Happy?" Sting asked, "I mean… I get how it could make Happy feel closer to me, and then he may be more accepting of _us_ , but…" the blond trailed off. I just smiled at him, before shaking my head slightly.

"Me and Happy always go camping and fishing together from time to time. I did it the last time I was back at the guild too. When I suggested you come with us, I had to make up an excuse to Happy so he would allow you to come without complaining, since it is sort of _our_ thing to do" I explained. Sting raised an eyebrow.

"So… what'd you tell him?" he asked me with an intrigued tone of voice.

I smiled. "I said that when I talked to you about fishing you said you'd never been fishing before, and got excited. Then I said that you'd be pretty down if I told you that you couldn't come with us" I grinned. Sting smirked at me.

"Natsu that's pretty devious of you" he commented.

I bowed my head a little. "Thank you" I replied, making Sting chuckle a little. "What's so funny?" I questioned him, as Happy reappeared with the fish and began to set them on sticks to cook, setting a few aside for himself to eat raw.

"Natsu I _have_ never went fishing before" Sting said, with a slight smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Well then… it looks like I'm gonna have to teach you properly then" I stated, before I turned my attention towards Happy.

"You done there, buddy?"

"Aye, Sir!" Happy called, before he produced four fish on sticks for me to take. I accepted them, before setting them into the ground against the fire to cook, giving Sting a slight smile as I did so. It was weird, but it felt oddly nice to cook for Sting, especially given our new relationship.

Sting smiled back at me, before his attention was drawn to the flames, that had dwindled somewhat since I had lit the fire only a little while ago. With a big grin, I held my hand close to the fire, before using a little of my magic. The flames flared intensely, enough that the fish would be cook almost instantly.

Sting gave a little laugh. "Show off" he commented. I just laughed as I took the first two fish and handed one to him.

"Just eat" I stated. Sting did, and he seemed to enjoy it too, which made me happy to see.

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **General Perspective**

"Ah, so what's this all about, sis?" Edric Zollzero asked, as he, Medea, and Haruki all gathered in a room in an isolated part of the guildhall.

Medea ignored Edric's whining tone as she took a number of cards and arranged them into a circle. Whilst she busied herself preparing to establish the connection with Thomas' Archive Magic, Haruki leaned next to Edric. The blond teen was seated at a chair on one side of a table, whilst Medea was on the opposite end facing Edric. Haruki couldn't help his eyes wandering over Edric a little, however as Medea's head raised from her work, he gave a more serious expression. Equally Edric, who could feel Haruki's gaze upon him, made his face shift from intrigued, to amused, and then finally to a more serious expression as his sister finished her preparations.

"Alright, I'm going to establish the connection now" Medea said to Edric. The boy nodded.

"Okay, it's not like this is the first time you know. We can _both_ do this little card trick" Edric replied. Medea scowled.

"Just listen to your brother please" she stated, before she activated her magic. The cards arranged on the table began to glow, each displaying an ancient rune of a long-dead language that only Thomas could truly understand. After a few moments, the light of the cards merged and rose up from the table to form a miniature sphere of light through which one could faintly observe moving silhouettes. A voice sounded from the sphere, Thomas' voice.

"Connection established, can you see me Edric?" Thomas said from his end of the spell, back in their family's home estate. Edric nodded, as the silhouettes became clearer, the image of Thomas and Arthur clear within the glowing light. "Good. We have established connection completely" Thomas stated, before looking to Arthur. The older male cleared his throat for a moment, before his eyes met with Edric's across the Archive Spheres.

"Hello Edric, behaving I hope?" Arthur began, with an almost fond tone. Edric nodded. "Good. Now, I have recalled Thomas back to our home in order to use his… talents… to extract some information from a particular guest. I believe that you were made aware of what occurred on Natsu Dragneel and Sting Eucliffe's last job, correct?" Once again Edric nodded.

"When they returned from the job, Medea and I ran into them. Sting gave a brief overview of what happened. It seems like _they_ might have been involved again, probably to spite us" Edric stated. Arthur nodded.

"Yes, that does seem to be the case. Regardless, there were two others involved in this incident. One was a woman who worked for the hotel that had hired those Mages, whilst the other was an old acquaintance of ours" Arthur continued. Medea and Edric both gave looks of intrigue.

"Who in particular?" Edric questioned, since his sister couldn't on account of her having to focus to maintain the link. Arthur smiled.

"The good Captain" he replied, earning amused looks from both Edric and Medea. "He came to us for sanctuary, fearing what they… or we… would do to him should they find him again, or should we have learned about what he did" Arthur added, before he looked to Thomas.

Edric's twin, nodded before beginning to speak. "It seems that at least one of the Troupe were involved here, so I have sent Kenji to do some investigations, whilst I continue to extract as much information from our visitor as I can before re-joining you at the guild. Personally, whilst it is unlikely this event is directly connected to some of the other events, I suspect that there is an underlying reason that so many things have been happening recently either on or against Zollzero property".

Edric nodded. "I thought it was suspicious…" he mumbled.

Thomas nodded also. "Yes. Additionally, there is some evidence in the Captain's memories that suggest they may even attempt to attack you, Medea, or either of the guilds. I will explore this matter further and then when I return we can decide what to do" Thomas finished. Edric smirked in understanding.

"Going after me or Medea? That'd be a bold move, and a stupid one" the blond boy mused. Arthur narrowed his eyes at Edric through the screen.

"Don't do anything rash Ed, there may still be some unknown enemy at work here, someone even the Zollzero name does strike fear in to. If we don't know what we are dealing with, we don't act. Got it?" Arthur used the sternest tone he could muster when giving Edric orders.

Edric nodded. "Yeah yeah, I got it" he replied, before giving Arthur a slight smirk.

Arthur sighed, before running a hand through his hair. "Sadly, I don't think you do" he stated, before shifting his gaze to Haruki, who he could see behind Edric through Thomas' sphere. "Haruki. As a member of the Zollzero family to a Zero Star guild member, I order you to prevent Edric from doing anything rash, got that?" Haruki nodded.

"Y'sir" he said in a semi-formal tone that, had Kenji been there, would have most definitely earned him a beating from the older sword master. For Arthur, however, it was enough.

"Alright. If that's the case then just be careful, and keep watch over things there for now. I'm sure Kenji will be back soon, then you and Medea can return Edric, whilst Haruki and Kenji keep doing what they do" Arthur stated, before seemingly looking at something outside of the field of view granted to them through the sphere. Nodding to some other figure, Arthur look back towards Edric and the others. "Seems our good father needs me" he stated. Edric nodded in understanding.

"Go. Best not to keep the old man waiting" the younger Zollzero child stated. Arthur nodded with a smile, before disappearing out of view. Once he was gone, Thomas nodded towards Edric.

"I will go to. My investigation is due to continue. I will be in contact again soon, brother, so keep your com-cards ready" Thomas stated. Once again Edric nodded, before the sphere stopped glowing and began to fade, Thomas vanishing from view instantly as the Archive Mage cut off their communication from his end.

With the communication session ended, Medea collected up her cards again. "I have some things to discuss with a few of the other wizards here at the guild, I trust you can find something to entertain yourself with?" she stated. Edric rolled his eyes, before looking over to Haruki, a smirk passing over his face.

"Yes, I suppose there is _something_ I can do" he stated. Medea sighed, before moving to go, giving Haruki one last look.

"Make sure you keep an eye on my dear brother" she said to the teen. Haruki nodded, before giving a slight salute.

"Don't worry, he won't be doing anything stupid or embarrassing to the Zollzero name. You can count on me" Haruki stated. Medea smiled slightly at him.

Then she left and they were alone. "So… wanna make out?" Edric asked Haruki. The Bullet Mage rolled his eyes.

"Don't you have some work or something to do?" he asked. Edric shrugged.

"My work is usually investigative, however since Arty gave me that little instruction… looks like I won't be able to do anything for a little while" Edric stated, before he stood up and drew Haruki closer to him. "Besides, I don't think there is much that I'd rather do than you" he added with a wink. Haruki sighed and allowed Edric to kiss him; although Medea, Arthur and Thomas knew about his and Edric's little relationship, the rest of Zero Star and the Zollzero family, and even more especially his grandfather, had to be kept in the dark.

At least here in the guild they could spend some time together, however fleeting.

/

 **Magnolia Outskirts Forest, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, Night Time,**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

"So, what are we doing by the river in the dark?" I asked, as Natsu and Happy trudge along the river bank with me, a fishing rod slug over each of their shoulders. Natsu grinned at me.

"Night fishing" he stated in a very plain tone. Happy smiled.

"It's pretty fun, although we can't eat all the kinds of fish we get at night… and it is a little more dangerous" the exceed chirped up. I gave an intrigued expression.

"Night fishing… so you're gonna fish in the dark? Isn't it hard to see the fish or the line then?" I asked. Natsu shrugged.

"Once your eyes get used to it, it's not so bad. You're a Dragon Slayer like me, so your eyes should be as good as mine at night, right?" I nodded.

"I suppose that's true…" I stated a little unsurely, before I looked out to the river beside me, with its little ripples and splashes signalling the lives of many night-time inhabitants were sharing this water at that moment. "Alright, here should be fine Sting" Natsu said after a few more minutes of walking. I nodded and watched as the pair set up their rods and lines for the entertainment that was 'fishing'. "Come sit with me Sting" Natsu called to me, playfully patting at a spot of grass beside his seated form. I smiled a little and did as I was asked.

"Alright" I agreed, taking a seat, my eyes flickering to Happy for a moment. Natsu show of playfulness seemed to have gone unnoticed by the exceed, or at least… it had not registered that anything was amiss. "So… what are we going to do then?" I asked him as we sat by the river.

"We're gonna fish, obviously" Natsu smiled at me. I sighed, rolling my eyes at his childishness.

"I mean… what are we going to do about Happy?" I said, sliding a little closer to Natsu and lowering my voice. Natsu gave a slight pout, before shrugging. _Typical… he hasn't even thought about this one bit_ … I thought to myself, with a little bit of fatigue towards Natsu lack of forethought.

"I mean… we could just tell him now" Natsu reasoned aloud, but in a tone just quiet enough that Happy would not hear. I pouted for a moment.

"We could… do you really think he'll accept this though, me and you?" I asked. Natsu looked to me with a gaze of complete bewilderment.

"He's my best bud… if he doesn't understand then… I guess no one would" Natsu stated, his voice wavering somewhere between confidence and worry. I subtly rested my hand on his arm, hoping that in this darkness, Happy would not see. Natsu looked down at the contact for a moment, before smiling a little. "How about we catch some fish first, then we tell him back at camp?" he looked to me expectantly. I nodded in agreement with this plan.

"That seems reasonable" I said, earning a nod from Natsu.

Just as our agreement was reached, Happy called out. "Hey Natsu, Sting! Look what I caaaaught!" Happy cheered as he produced a large fish from the end of his line. Despite the darkness the creature was clear enough to my eyes, with bright yellow skin that held two stripes of a lighter white.

"Oh… cool!" I exclaimed as I saw the fish up close. It attempted to flop around a bit in Happy's arms, before it settled down.

"Don't forget to put it back in the water soon Happy" Natsu chimed in, as he seemed more interested in his own pole, rather than Happy's amazing catch.

"Natsu, are you not seeing how big this is?" I questioned the pink-haired Dragon Slayer confusedly. Natsu just grinned at me.

"You wanna see big? Then just wait and see what I'll catch" he smirked cockily. Happy rolled his eyes at his partner, before he released the fish back into the water.

"So why don't you eat them Happy?" I asked, as I watched the feline release his catch. The exceed just shrugged.

"Some of the fish we find at night are edible… but because of all the magic that's in this forest most of them aren't. Some of them _do_ glow though, which is pretty cool to see" Happy commented, as he resumed his fishing position by the river.

"Cool, I want to see a big glowing fish" I mused. Natsu chuckled from beside me.

"Just you wait… I'll catch that for you" he stated. I nodded.

"I can't wait" I replied.

As it turns out, I would have to… all night in fact.

/

"Natsu, are you gonna sulk like that _all_ night?" I complained, as Natsu, Happy and I all made our way back to the little camp-site we had set up. After fishing for several hours, Natsu had failed to catch anything larger than a few small, hand-sized fish, which left the Fire Dragon Slayer in a poor mood.

"Hmph… I'm not sulking" Natsu grumbled in a low voice. Happy just chuckled.

"Just ignore him Sting, he's just upset that on the one time he brings someone else along, he fails to catch even _one_ big fish" the exceed teased. Natsu glared at his partner momentarily, before looking away, an ever-so-faint blush touching his cheeks that, to anyone else but me, would have probably gone unnoticed.

"Shut up…" he complained. Happy continued sniggering.

As we arrived back at camp, Happy took the fishing pole away from Natsu and stored them away in a bag near the tent, whilst Natsu and I sat near the fire together, Natsu increasing the dwindling flames heat with his magic. Whilst the exceed's back was turned I looked to Natsu knowingly. "We gotta tell him now" I whispered. Natsu nodded.

"Just wait until he's sat down… then we can tell him" the pinkette replied. I nodded in understanding, my form growing a little tenser as I waited for Happy to be seated. As Happy did sit down, the exceed produced three sticks, each of which held a number of marshmallows. "Here, have one. I got 'em ready whilst Natsu picked you up" Happy smiled, as he handed Natsu and me each one of the sticks, before taking his own and holding it out to the flames.

"Thank you Happy" I said, before copying the blue feline and using the flames to heat the sweet treats. As we each sat, staring into the fire, a silence fell over our group. I was unsure if it was an uncomfortable silence, or just the silence of companionship, however it did not last long, as Happy spoke up. "So, what have you and Natsu been whispering about all night?" Happy asked us, looking at Natsu and me from the other edge of the flames. I gulped subconsciously as I prepared to answer his question.

"We… er…" I floundered. Luckily, Natsu was beside me, and he was a little more confident.

"Well Happy" he began, "I actually had a reason to bring Sting here with us tonight" Natsu stated. Happy nodded.

"Yeah, you said he'd never fished before" Happy replied. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah… but that was a lie" the Fire Dragon Slayer stated. Happy gave a confused expression.

"A lie? Why'd you lie like that Natsu?" the exceed used a tone of genuine confusion. Natsu chuckled a little, somewhat nervously. I decided to step in.

"He actually didn't lie. I have never fished before… however he didn't know that at the time and used that excused to get you to allow me to come with you" I explained hurriedly to the exceed. Happy seemed to understand what I said, as he gave a little nod.

"Okay… so why did Natsu want you to come with us?" Happy questioned us, trying to process this and come to some sort of a conclusion.

"Well…" Natsu stalled for a moment, before looking to me one last time. I hardened my gaze as our eyes met and we both nodded.

"You see Happy…" I began.

"We're together… like… in a relationship, as boyfriend's" Natsu finished.

/

The words hung heavy in the air for a moment. Happy seemed to take an eternity to give any kind of response. Natsu and I both subconsciously held our breath, each ready for whatever Happy did or said next.

After a few seconds (or years, I couldn't really tell for sure) Happy finally smiled. "So that's what this was all about?" he asked with a big grin. Natsu and I both looked to each other, before looking back to Happy.

"Yeah" Natsu said, "Sting's my boyfriend" he added. Happy began giggling.

"Aww… so you finally found someone who's willing to put up with you Natsu" Happy cheered, in a surprisingly upbeat tone of voice. I couldn't help but smile back at his antics. Natsu on the other hand frowned.

"Hey, what'd you mean 'put up with'!" he growled. Happy continued grinning, as he pulled his marshmallows away from the fire and began eating them.

"I mean that I never thought anyone would be able to cope being around you long enough to actually get into a relationship with you. Honestly, I'm relieved" Happy laughed, in between chomps of half-melted marshmallow.

Natsu seemed taken aback by his partners frank tone of voice and words, so I decided to intercede on his behalf. "So… you're okay with this?" I asked Happy. The exceed nodded, his face beaming.

"Of course. Natsu is my friend after all, I will always support him on stuff like this" Happy stated. I smiled. "Of course, I want to make sure you're not gonna make Natsu sad too" Happy added after a moment.

"I won't. Ever." I said in a confident, sure tone of voice.

Happy nodded. "Then that is okay" he reasoned, before looking to Natsu.

The pinkette seemed to have put Happy's teasing behind him, as he now sat with a big grin, his hand sliding over to grasp mine, our fingers quickly intertwining. "I'm happy" he said loudly. Happy laughed.

"So… when did you two actually get together?" he asked us. I pouted for a moment, before looking to Natsu.

"Well… on the last job…" I stated, unsure of whether to tell Happy the details about Natsu and my ordeal, the confrontation with Lynn, and my long-standing crush on the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Natsu on the other hand just continued smiling. "You see…" then he began to explain everything. Once he started, I found myself relax, adding in details every now and then as he recounted the events of the last job, including his own capture and my valiant rescue attempt. Happy for the most part just listened, commenting every now and then, and once or twice poking fun at Natsu, however once Natsu finished he gave a contented smile. "So, then we went to the house after that little date" Natsu concluded, deftly avoiding the subject of _what_ occurred when we got back to the beach house.

"Aww… that was actually pretty nice of you Sting. And Natsu… you're an idiot" Happy stated, earning a yelp of annoyance from Natsu.

"Why am I an idiot?!" the pinkette barked. Happy snorted derisively.

"Because you never noticed how Sting felt until he told you. From what it sounds like, it was pretty obvious. And I bet Sting's been feeling like this for a little while too…" Happy scolded Natsu, before looking to me. I raised an eyebrow in surprise. _I hadn't expected Happy to have been so accepting of this… or to have noticed stuff like that_ I thought to myself.

"Oh… er… maybe…" I mumbled in response to Happy's questioning gaze. Happy just shrugged.

"Anyways, if that's everything then I guess we should probably get some sleep" Happy said, giving a small yawn, "It's late… but, oh… do you two want the tent for yourselves whilst I stay outside. I don't mind" Happy said, his voice giving away the 'naughty' thoughts he was having.

"Happy!" Natsu barked in surprise, "We wouldn't ever do stuff like that whilst you were nearby!" he added, "Right Sting?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it'd be the same as doing it when Lector was in the same room" I said with a slightly disturbed tone. Happy just giggled.

"Okay, if that's the case then I'm going to sleep. Goodnight you two" he said, before flying off into the tent.

Once he was gone, Natsu looked to me. "I know I just said that, but I really want to kiss you Sting" he stated with an upbeat tone of voice. I smiled.

"Well… do it then, just one kiss won't hurt anyone" I said, before leaning in to Natsu. Natsu smiled as our lips connected into a short, sweet kiss. As we broke away I couldn't help but look into Natsu's deep, dark eyes, with their little flickering flames deep within. "So…" I couldn't find any words to say. Natsu chuckled to himself.

"Let's get to sleep. At least Happy won't wind if we sleep next to each other. Then tomorrow… why don't we go have some fun around town together?" he said with a smile. I nodded.

"Okay. That sounds… nice" I replied. Natsu laughed a little, before leaning in to kiss me once more.

"Come on, let's get to sleep" he said, before getting up and offering me his hand I accepted it, before getting pulled along towards the tent.

Then we went to sleep, me and Natsu embraced in each other's bodies, contented dreams filling our heads as we thought of what we could do together the next day.

"Goodnight Natsu…" I mumbled, as I drifted off to unconsciousness.

 _I'm so glad Happy accepted this… because I don't think I could ever let Natsu go now…_

/

 **Zollzero Mansion, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, that same night,**

 **General Perspective**

Thomas stood up from the chair set opposite the now unconscious form of the so-called killer Captain Chumgore. The various Archive screens that floated about the place between him and his target all blinked out of existence, their information all safely stored inside the blond-haired boy's brain. "So, it seems that they are definitely involved. Perhaps they intend to try to strike back at the family again?" Thomas said to the empty room, before he sighed. "Hmph… it seems that things are going to be getting annoyingly busy again" he added, before he left the room.

"So, did you find out anything else interesting?" Arthur asked Thomas as he entered Arthur's private study. Thomas shook his head.

"It seems like our dearest rivals are attempting something, however they did not take the time to tell the good Captain" Thomas relayed, before he had a new screen appear before Arthur, a few select memories that Thomas had taken from Captain Chumgore visible on its surface. "It also seems like their next target will likely be Fairy Tail since they've already began to sow the seeds there with Natsu" Thomas added in a frank tone of voice. Arthur nodded in understanding, his eyes flickering over the images before him.

"Right. If that's the case then we should probably try to catch them out before they achieve whatever it is they seek" he said, before looking up to Thomas with a smile. "I think Edric should be able to whip something up to that effect, if you just go and make sure things don't get too… crazy" he stated. Thomas nodded in understanding.

"I will set off tonight, and relay this information to Edric and Medea. Then we can plan our counter strike" he stated in a flat voice. Arthur chuckle.

"It'll have been a while since we'll have had the opportunity to talk to our dearest rivals. Oh… but we should perhaps keep this from our father for now. No telling what _he'll_ do should he find out that they are behind all this" Arthur stated.

Thomas gave a faintly worried expression. "A-are you sure that is wise? Won't father then get angry" he said fearfully. Arthur nodded.

"If the worst comes, I'll take responsibility. I can't imagine he'd want to _remove_ his most oh-so-precious heir" Arthur stated. Thomas nodded, before dispelling his screen.

"Alright then. I will set off. I take it you're going to tell our father that the Captain attempted to betray us?" he stated. Arthur nodded.

"It is unfortunate, however that would seem to be the only way to avoid our father suspecting. What happens then is just… business" he stated. Thomas nodded.

As the Archive Mage left, he muttered one last thing. "This wasn't supposed to be our business though" he stated.

Arthur nodded in agreement; it was sad but true. For a researcher clan, they had done some pretty unsavory things.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like their actions were likely to change all that soon, not unless the Zollzero Patriarch was taken out.

 **End of Chapter 15**

 **Chapter Hint; Bar Brawls**


	16. Chapter 16 - Bar Brawls

Chapter 16 – Bar Brawls

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **General Perspective**

The guild was quiet, however that was to be expected this early in the morning. Besides the Guild Master, Makarov Dreyar, and a few choice individuals the hall was almost completely empty. "Dawn, I'm never up this early unless I've got something to do" Edric Zollzero complained, as he sipped the coffee that Mirajane had handed him quite kindly.

"Don't complain Ed" Haruki said from beside him. The pair were sitting at one of the many unoccupied tables currently available within the grand guild building. Edric raised an eyebrow to the Bullet Mage.

"Ed?" he parroted. Haruki smirked.

"My apologies… Edric Zollzero" the teen replied, in a falsely subservient tone of voice. Edric laughed a little.

"Technically it should be 'sir' or perhaps 'Young Master'… however Edric will suffice" Edric stated jovially. Haruki rolled his eyes, before looking back to the door.

"Gramps and Thomas should be arriving together, right?" Haruki asked Edric, to which the blond nodded.

"Yes. According to Arties fast-tracked letter, Thomas and Kenji should arrive by 5AM. That gives us… another forty minutes or so of freedom before we have to resume our usual roles" Edric stated. Haruki nodded.

"Okay. Do you think they must have found something serious to have both me and my grandfather, as well as you, Medea and Thomas all gathered in this one place?" he asked Edric, who pouted in thought for a moment. Although Thomas was the 'genius' of the family, Edric, when he wanted, could be quite intelligent himself, although he would often disguise this fact since it could be off putting in his 'information gathering' work.

"It's likely _something_ must have been noteworthy in the good Captain's memories to elicit such a response as this. It's also likely that whatever it is will have Arthur trying to keep this from our father. In their previous message Thomas mentioned that our rivals were possibly on the move, so… give the current status, it's likely they'll attack _here_ , at Fairy Tail. Mostly just to make a point. If that's the case then… hmm… Thomas probably has a plan" Edric reasoned, before his eyes were drawn to something near the guild entrance.

Thomas stood with Kenji behind him, a slight smirk playing with his lips. "It seems that I need to tell you very little, Brother" he stated. Edric chuckled.

"I take it that means that my summary was correct, or near to correct, yes?" he replied. Thomas shrugged.

"Where's Medea?" he asked, "I need to tell _all_ of you what's going on".

Edric snorted a little and laughed loudly. "Do you really think her royal highness could be bothered to get up at this time?" he asked Thomas rhetorically, "I mean… this early in the morning she's likely still-"

"I'm likely to be doing _what_ , Edric?" Medea interjected, as she stalked into the guild and up to where Thomas was standing with Kenji. Edric smirked.

"Well… it seems it's a moot point now, Sister" he stated, before finishing the rest of his coffee. Standing up, Edric, Medea and Thomas all left for a more private area of the guild, Haruki and Kenji closely in tow. Kenji appeared to be muttering something to Haruki, however the blond seemed not to notice, as he was more fixated on the group in front of him, his eyes still concealed behind the same sunglasses he always wore.

The only people to notice the groups departure was Mirajane, who stood by at the counter, having been there early that morning to take note of stock that would need to be replenished, as well as Gajeel, who was drinking alone, having just returned from a late-night job that morning and wanting nothing more than some peace and quiet.

/

 **Magnolia Outskirts, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792,**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I awoke to the peaceful sounds of nature, filtering in through the fabric of the familiar tent; Happy and Sting were both sleep at either side of me. I smiled to myself as I took in the pairs faces individually. _We actually told Happy_ I thought, as I looked at the snoring feline, _plus… Sting and Happy seemed to make at least pleasant friends, if not good friends_ I added, as my gaze shifted to Sting. Although the night before he had been a bit reluctant to sleep so close to me in the tent, lest it 'freak Happy out', his sleeping formed seemed more than happy to hold me as tight as possible, not that I was complaining about that. I brushed a hand through Sting's hair, the faint softness of the blond strands comforting under my fingertips. "Sting…" I muttered under my breath, before I leaned in close to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.

I hoped I could remained like this forever, in this place of peace, happiness, love and friendship. Soon, though, the quiet was interrupted by an odd noise; the sound of giggling. Looking to my left, where Happy was curled up, I found a great pair of cat-like eyes gazing up at me. "He he, were you think about something naughty Natsu?" Happy questioned me in a quiet tone of voice, his smile broad across his still somewhat sleepy features. I frowned at him.

"Come on Happy, is that all that you think I think about?" I sighed, "Oh, and good morning by the way" I added with a slightly sarcastic voice. Happy continued snickering.

"So, does that mean you _weren't_ think about that kind of stuff?" Happy questioned, "And good morning to you too Natsu" he added.

I smirked. "Actually, I was thinking how great it was that you and Sting at least seemed friendly towards one another. I don't know what I woulda done if you two didn't like each other" I stated honestly, in a bid to make Happy apologise. He didn't.

"Yeah, of course I'd be friends with Sting. He's funny, and a powerful wizard… and he's a guild master too, so he must be pretty capable" Happy stated, before looking at the still sleeping White Dragon Slayer. I smiled a little brighter hearing Happy's assessment of my new boyfriend.

"He is all that. He's also pretty cute and attractive too, although I suppose I'd be the only one to think that here" I added with a faint smirk. Happy laughed.

"Well you're right there. Carla's the only girl for me" the exceed stated happily. I brushed my hand through Sting's hair again.

"Sting's is also bad at some things too" I added after a moment. Happy gave a confused look, which I immediately met with a big grin. "For example, he's dumb with money, and he's really bad at lying. He's also bad at pretending to be asleep when he's actually awake" I stated with a slight laugh. Happy began laughing too.

"Aww… I thought if I stayed 'asleep' then I'd get to hear more praise" Sting stated, as he opened his eyes. I smirked at him.

"Sorry, but that's all the praised you're getting" I stated. Sting gave a momentary pout before replacing it with a wide grin.

"Guess I've got to take what I can get" he stated, "When did you work out I wasn't asleep though?" he added as he rose his head and rested it slightly on my shoulder. I slid my arm down from his head to his side, where there was some exposed flesh. Sting and I had decided to remain clothed whilst we slept in the tent with Happy, and so the only time I could get to feel his body was when my arm or hand brushed up against his exposed abdomen.

"I figured it out when Happy woke up. After he had shown he was awake I checked you're breathing pattern, it changed a few minutes ago so I figured you must be awake" I stated with a knowing, yet still cocky, smile.

Sting smirked back at me as my fingertips ghosted over his abdominal muscles. "Figures you'd still be observant even when you first wake up" he mused. I just shrugged.

"That's just how amazing I am" I stated. Happy and Sting both laughed at this.

After that we decided to continue resting for a few more minutes, before Happy, Sting and I all packed up camp and set off back for Magnolia. On the way, back Happy stopped mid-air, a suddenly surprised expression on his face. "Oh right, I almost forgot that I promised Carla and Wendy that I'd go on a job with them. We didn't know when you'd both be back so…" Happy gave an apologetic expression. I just shrugged.

"So, go meet up with 'em. Sting and I can haul this stuff back to my house, then I promised I'd take Sting around town for the day, so I'm sure that we'll be here when you get back" I stated. Sting nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you should break you're promises" he added. Happy nodded before flying low and handing the pack of stuff he was carrying over to Sting.

"Alright, I'll be back sometime tonight then" he stated. I smiled and waved him off.

"Okay, see ya later buddy" I shouted, before I looked to Sting, a grin breaking over all my features. "Hey Sting" I said once Happy was out of sight. Sting looked to me with a suspicious expression.

"Yeah Natsu?" he stated.

"I was thinking that I should probably take a shower when I get back to the apartment… wanna join me?" I asked him. Sting seemed to consider this for a moment, before giving his answer away with just his expression; I never saw Sting smile so quickly.

We both then hurried off towards mine and Happy's shared abode on the outskirts of Magnolia town.

/

We barely got in the front door before I dropped the stuff I was carrying and grabbed hold of Sting. "Whoa… Nats-" he began to protest, before I silenced him with a short, but hungry kiss. As I broke off I gave Sting a wild smirk. He smiled back, his usual, handsome grin placed firmly on his features.

"I take it a shower wasn't the _only_ thing on your mind?" he asked me, as I let him go so that he could place the multiple bags he was carrying down on my living room floor. I shook my head at him.

"I just can't help it… every time I look at you I get… heated" I stated with a mild pout. Sting chuckled.

"Well that's… reassuring" he mused, "At least I know you won't be getting bored with me any time soon" he added, as he sat down on the single, slightly battered, sofa that was not covered with stuff. Despite various attempts by Lucy, Erza and even Mirajane and Lisanna, mine and Happy's house never managed to remain tidy for very long. I knew that I should feel at least a little embarrassed about the state of things, however it was exactly how I wanted it to be; plus, it also meant I could show off all of the cool stuff I bought or collected on my various jobs. I took the seat next to Sting, wrapping an arm around him as I did so. "So, you worry that I'll get bored of you?" I questioned him. Sting smirked slightly before shaking his head.

"No" he answered. "I was just poking fun a little. Although…" he trailed off, looking to me for a moment.

I met his gaze with a cheerier expression. "Don't worry, I like you Sting. You're funny, and… hot… I'm not gonna be getting bored of you. Ever" I stated, giving a glance up and down his body, my eyes belying my own passions. Sting registered this glance and gave a smile.

"Well… you're not bad either" he said, before leaning in and brushing my open-fronted waistcoat to reveal the muscles beneath. I smiled as our lips connected for another kiss. We lingered for a few moments like this, just us, on this sofa, comfortably alone. Then we broke apart and looked to each other, and without another word I took Sting's hand and led him off towards the bathroom in order to have that 'shower'. Grins wide on each of our faces, as we both filled our heads with all manner of… fun… thoughts.

/

 **Natsu's house, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Sting pushed Natsu up against the door of the shower room having just practically fallen through it as the pinkette dragged him into the, relatively small, room. "Mmph… Natsu…" he groaned as he held the pink-haired Fire Dragon Slayer tight, his lips crashing against Natsu's in a more heated battle for dominance, which he easily won.

"Sting…" Natsu moaned back, as Sting used one arm to support himself against the wood of the closed door, and the other hand to caress the pinkette's exposed muscles. After a few moments of impassioned kissing, the pair broke off from each other with faint smiles as they panted for breath. Natsu was the first to make a move, sliding his waistcoat from his shoulders to reveal his perfect torso. Sting ogled the pinkette obviously, the faint hunger in his eyes amusing to Natsu. "Like what you see?" he chuckled. Sting smirked, before sliding off his blue vest, and accompanying tan top, leaving his suspenders to dangle loosely by his sides.

After stripping, Sting then slid one arm around Natsu's waist, his hand sliding up the pinkette's back, whilst the other slid around his shoulders to rest against the door and once more support his weight as he leaned in against the other male. "Of course, I like what I see" Sting stated, before he moved to whisper in Natsu's ear in his most sensuous voice. "I just wanna see _more_ " he added, before trailing a few kisses along Natsu's cheek and neck. Natsu shivered slightly at Sting's words, before his hands slid around Sting's waist, one moving up the blonde's back, whilst the other rested at the waistband of Sting's trousers.

"Well if ya want to see me naked that badly…" Natsu began, before mimicking exactly what Sting had just done to him, leaning in to the White Dragon Slayer's ear, a wicked smile playing with his features. " _Then make me_ " he stated, before leaning into Sting's neck and giving a playful little bite.

Sting could barely suppress the moan that rose in his throat, and with Natsu so close to his neck he knew that the Fire Dragon Slayer would be able to hear even the slightest muted noise. _Damn that's hot_ he cursed inwardly, before giving in to his rising heat by moving to capture Natsu's lips in his own. They kissed for a few minutes, Natsu eagerly allowing for Sting's tongue to enter his mouth, the wet muscle moving and tasting every corner of the Fire Dragon Slayer's heated cavern. "Mmm…" Sting groaned, as the hand Natsu had slipped around his waist before moved lower, squeezing his butt slightly. Natsu gave a muffled laugh, and Sting opened the eyes he had closed to meet the dark gaze of the pinkette.

The two broke apart for a moment. Natsu couldn't help but grin, as the hand he had on Sting's rear maintained its firm grip. "Aww… you like it when I do this Sting?" he mused to himself. Sting blushed slightly.

"Yes, but not as much as you like it when I do this" he replied, before trailing kisses along Natsu's jaw and neck, moving lower. Natsu already knew what Sting was going to do, and bit his lip slightly in anticipation. As Sting's lips moved across his bear torso, they stopped at Natsu's nipple. Then, with a lewd smile on his face, Sting sucked the bud into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it and eliciting the most delicious moan from Natsu's throat.

"Gngh… Sting…" Natsu muttered, before his hand came to rest on Sting's head, fingertips playing with the soft blond strands. Sting gave his own muffled laugh as a response, before tormenting Natsu's nipple a little more. Natsu continued to moan, until Sting withdrew from the bud, giving one final suck. "Like that?" he laughed.

Natsu did not have it in him to respond. Throughout the assault to his nipple, the heat in the lower half of his body grew rapidly, until it soon it became out of his own control. With one final hungry look, Natsu leaned in to kiss Sting, before tugging at the White Dragon's trousers. Sting immediately understood Natsu's wishes, since he himself was also experiencing that same heat, and helped the pinkette by loosening the belt he wore. After a few seconds of hungry kisses, the pair stood naked before each other. Sting was the first to look down, to where his and Natsu's members were rubbing against one another. "Natsu… I…" his lust-ridden mind struggled to put into words exactly what he wished, so instead Sting moved his hand down to grasp both members between his fingers, rubbing them together and eliciting moans from both Natsu and himself.

The pink-haired Dragon Slayer made no move to stop Sting, and instead helped him by pulling the White Dragon into a much tighter embrace. His eyes met Sting instantly he was enraptured by the sheer, naked beauty of the other male. With a faint smile, he leaned in. "We haven't even _stepped into the shower_ " he laughed. This snapped Sting out of his frenzy for a moment, as the White Dragon also gave a face of amusement.

"That's true…" he mused, before leaning in. "However… I wanna make a mess of you _before_ we go in" he added. This sent another shiver of want through Natsu's spine, and the pinkette could do nothing but blush at Sting's luscious words.

"Then. Do. It…" Natsu stated with an inviting smirk. Sting needed no other invitation. With a final smile Sting kissed Natsu's lips, cheek, neck and then moved on another trail down his body. Like before, Natsu hand expected Sting to stop at his nipple, however as he looked down, the White Dragon smirked up at him, before kissing a further trail down Natsu's abs. It wasn't until Sting was one his knees that Natsu realised his true intentions. "Sting…" he muttered in anticipation. Sting smiled up at Natsu, before taking his member in hand.

"Natsu, before I do this… gimme your hand" Sting stated. Natsu did not understand Sting's request, however he held out his hand anyways. Sting smiled, before grabbing Natsu's wrist with his other hand. He then moved it so it was closer to his head, before looking back up at Natsu. Then, without saying anything, Sting took Natsu's fingers into his mouth, sliding his tongue over them quickly, coating three in layers of his own saliva.

With his work complete, and all the necessary preparations made, Sting removed the fingers. It took Natsu a few moments to work out exactly what Sting intended, however from the look on the pinkette's face when he removed his fingers from his mouth, Sting gauged that Natsu was at least beginning to realise what Sting hoped he would do. "Ready Natsu?" Sting asked the pinkette. Natsu nodded, with a lewd smile.

"Yeah" he said. Sting smiled, before eyeing up Natsu's hardened member once more. Then, without another word, Sting licked along the length of the hard cock, before sucking the tip into his mouth. This was only Sting's second time giving a blow job, however he felt like he was starting to get a feel for the action. Starting with the tip, Sting licked and toyed with the slit using his tongue as much as he could. With each flick of the wet muscle, Natsu let out a most perfect moan.

Soon Sting began to suck more of Natsu's member into his mouth. Natsu could feel the warmth of Sting's mouth cover his dick, however nothing compared to the sight of Sting looking up at him, blue eyes staring directly into the pinkette's dark ones. It made Natsu moan all the more, however it was only through a momentary flash of thought that he remembered his slickened fingers. With a lewd smirk down at Sting, Natsu moved his hand to his own ass, lining up the first digit with his hole. Sting watched the movement with satisfaction, before he closed his eyes to enjoy sucking Natsu's cock all the more. Natsu paused for a moment, before he allowed the first digit to enter. "Agh…" he moaned, as the two sensations, pleasure from the front and odd filling from the back, mixed inside him.

It was weird to him, fingering himself, however not that unpleasant. Natsu remembered the feeling from when Sting had prepared him on their first night together. The pinkette had not expected the sensation to feel so good then, however now, with Sting before him it seemed different, but not unpleasant. As he pushed it further inside, Natsu reached down and stroked his free hand through Sting's blond locks. This seemed to attract the White Dragon Slayer's attention, at least momentarily, as Sting looked back up at Natsu, however this was just met by a bright smile from the pinkette. Then Natsu gripped the back of Sting's head, applying a little pressure and his whole member into Sting's mouth, whist simultaneously inserting the second digit into his own ass. Sting moaned as Natsu took the dominant position, the pinkette's cock moving much more forcefully as he thrust into the White Dragon Slayers awaiting mouth. Sting could barely contain himself as it was, and now, with Natsu's hand on his head, and those fiery eyes burning down on him from above, he lost the last bit of control and began to jerk himself off. "Ahh… Na-tsu…" Sting moaned in tones muffled by the invading presence of Natsu's dick.

"S-so good… Sting…" Natsu moaned back, much louder, as his self-fingering began to take a much more _vigorous_ motion, his fingers scissoring with each thrust he delivered. After a while Natsu reached his limit, and, removing his fingers from his ass, he gave Sting three more rough thrusts, before coming directly into the blonde's mouth. "Coming… Sting. STING!" Natsu panted loudly as he filled the blonde's mouth with his seed. The White Dragon could do nothing but receive Natsu's seed, although he did stop touching himself so he could make best use of Natsu's now thoroughly prepped butt.

Once Natsu's body stopped shaking with orgasm, Sting pulled the pinkette's cock out of his mouth. "That was great… Sting…" Natsu smiled at him, as Sting began to drew level with him once more. Sting smirked darkly at the pinkette as he stood up.

"Natsu, it's not over yet" he stated, before leaning in to deliver a short-yet-delicious kiss to the pinkette's lips, the taste of semen being transferred to Natsu's mouth in the quick exchange.

"It's not?" Natsu mumbled into the kiss, his sex-addled mind not currently able to keep up with what was going on at that moment. Sting shook his head.

"No" Sting confirmed, before leaning in to Natsu's ear, " _Now I get to… fuck… you_ " he whispered. Natsu shivered a little in anticipation, before he smiled. Sting smiled back and the two leaned in for a more passionate kiss. Natsu opened his mouth to allow Sting entrance once more, the tongue that entered bringing even more of that delicious taste from his own cum. "Mmm… Sting…" the pinkette moaned into the kiss.

A flicker of a smile rose on Sting's lips, as the blond slid his hand down Natsu's side, to grip at the upper part of his thigh. Natsu, a little more wakeful now, understood immediately, and began to move. The two broke apart for a moment, in order for Natsu to turn around, placing himself against the door, with his ass pointed towards Sting. With a smile, the White Dragon moved closer, rubbing his cock against Natsu's hole without entering, a lewd smile on his face as Natsu looked back to observe what was happening. "Like that?" Natsu smirked, before he reached back to touch Sting with one hand. "Please though… just fuck me already… I… really want you to" he added after a moment. The White Dragon Slayer needed no second request, as without a second thought he leaned in and kissed Natsu from behind, before sliding his cock inside of the pinkette.

The tightness and heat felt too good to Sting, he just could not stop himself from moving. Despite receiving no warning, Natsu did not stop Sting's movements, as he knew that, much like he was, the White Dragon Slayer had long gone past his limit. "So… good…" Sting panted in Natsu's ear, as he fucked the pinkette from behind. "You're so… fucking… sexy Natsu…" Sting added with a faint smile.

Natsu moaned loudly as Sting sweet-talked him whilst fucking him. "More Sting… I'm gonna… come again" Natsu begged the blond. Sting's faint smile turned into a grin of pure lust, as he acted to Natsu's heated request.

"If… that's what you want… N-Natsu" he said in between moans, increasing the pace of his heated thrusting. Soon the pair were left as nothing more than moaning, heated, horny, sweat-slickened messes of flesh, their minds completely enveloped in the lust and sensation of their activity.

"Natsu!" Sting moaned, his thrusts becoming more erratic.

"Agh… Sting… c-coming!" Natsu gasped, as he felt his second climax fast approach. Sting breathed deeply, as he reached around Natsu with one hand, stroking the hardened member there.

"Me too. Let's c-come together" Sting said. Natsu gave a conformational moan, before he was pushed finally over the edge. Sting was not far behind. "Agh… ahh… Natsu… Natsu…" Sting moaned several times, before he released his load directly into the Fire Dragon Slayers awaiting ass.

Likewise, Natsu gave off one final moan before his cum shot out in hot, thick ropes of white, covering his chest, Sting's hand, and a good portion of the door. "Ahhh!" he said as the waves of pleasure rolled over his body.

After a few moments of delicious pleasure, Sting pulled out of Natsu, the Fire Dragon spinning around to grab the blond and hold him in a long, sweet kiss. Pulling away Natsu gave Sting an amused look. "Look at the mess…" he stated, gesturing to his cum-covered abs, then to Sting, who had a few little splashes of cum on his chin from his earlier blow-job. Sting laughed, before looking to the door.

"We gotta clean-up" he chuckled. Natsu nodded.

"Definitely, otherwise Happy will _not_ be happy" Natsu laughed.

Sting shrugged. "You know what we really need?" he asked Natsu. The pinkette frowned momentarily.

"What?" he asked confusedly.

Sting smirked. "A shower" he replied.

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792, a little later that morning,**

 **Continued General Perspective**

"So that's it" Thomas concluded, the fatigue from several hours of explanation, debate, questions, and answers creeping into his tone as he faced his siblings and their retainers. "Basically, it's likely that they, or someone hired by them, will strike _here_ at Fairy Tail" Thomas added.

Edric groaned. "What a pain" he complained. Medea gave a sour expression.

"Not to underestimate our opponents," she stated, "But what actual chance do our rivals think they have taking _us_ on, along with this whole guild, which is in itself the proclaimed _number one_ wizards guild in Fiore?" Thomas shrugged.

"I don't have enough data to speculate" he stated, before looking to Edric, who unlike Medea seemed a little more amused. "Do you have something on your mind brother?"

Edric smirked. "Hm… it's not so much something bothering me, however I think I begin to understand our opponents plans a bit" he stated. Both Thomas and Medea gave mildly intrigued looks, whilst Haruki and Kenji stood silently and watched the three; they both knew it was not their place to speak in matters that concerned the Zollzero directly. "You understand something, Eddy?" Medea questioned her brother, trying to prompt him to give up whatever information he had just thought up.

"Yes, I _think_ I understand something, sis" Edric corrected his elder sibling, before looking to Thomas. "Tom, did Arthur ask you to do anything specific, like dig around for information? Or are we just gonna have to deal with this issue ourselves?" Edric asked his twin brother. Thomas frowned for a moment, before swiping his hand in the air, bringing up another Archive screen, separate from the multiple screens he currently had facing Edric and Medea, which he had used to relay the information he had already gathered. "Arthur only said to leave this up to you. I was going to see if I could find out some more information by… _examining_ people about town, without harming them of course, however… if you have a suggestion…" Thomas trailed off and looked to Edric with a piercing gaze. Edric smiled at his brother, then winked.

"If that's all he said…" Edric smirked, "Then I guess I _will_ have to do something myself. I wouldn't worry about doing any _examinations_ though, Thomas, because I've got a plan that should lure our enemies to us, and allow us to deal with them a little more… _discretely_ " Edric stated with an amused tone. Medea smiled at her brother's antics; she could already sense the excitement coming from him, and from that she knew he must have come up with quite the interesting little plot.

"Well, come on Eddy… share it with us" she said, in her most wry of tones. Edric shrugged at her.

"Alright, however I don't want to hear any complaints from you, got it?" he stated. Medea was momentarily drawn aback by Edric's words, however she soon smiled again.

"Fine. Now let's hear this plan" she stated. Edric then proceeded to lay before the group his own machinations. After explaining both Thomas and Medea agreed, and then not long after the three left the guild to begin preparing for their night of espionage and trickery.

/

 **Magnolia Town, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

After our 'shower' Natsu and I decided to spend the remainder of the day going about Magnolia having fun, before showing up at the guild later to see if there were any jobs available. We still had the debt to pay off after all. First, after making the peaceful walk through the outskirts of the busy town, Natsu took me to a local café that he knew about to treat me to some breakfast. "This place is nice" I said as we entered the establishment. Natsu grinned.

"Thanks" he said happily, "Lucy forced me to come here once, however… after a little bit of complaining, I thought it was nice. Plus, the food's cheap" he added with a slight smirk. I laughed. _Of course, the amount of food he can buy would be his top priority…_

"Well, it was a good choice then" I laughed, as Natsu and I sat down at a table, a friendly-looking waitress coming over to us.

"Hello Mister Dragneel… and Master Eucliffe" she said, giving a visible blush at noticing me. I sighed inwardly; I didn't want to have to deal with any fangirls whilst I was with Natsu.

"Hi" Natsu replied to the waitress' greeting. Although Natsu still wore a smile, I could see the coldness in his eyes towards this woman; clearly, he had also noticed her actions towards me. _Is Natsu… jealous?_ I cooed slightly at the thought of Natsu defending me against other people, however I pushed this down quickly so I could reply to the waitress without my inner thoughts spilling out. The waitress did not seem to have noticed Natsu's tone, she just looked between us with a blissfully unaware smile. "Do you want your usual breakfast order, Mister Dragneel?" she asked. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, Sting'll have the same as me" he replied, on my behalf. I raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything.

"Okay, which beverage would you prefer with your order, Master Eucliffe? We have coffee, a selection of teas, as well as cold drinks if you prefer" she said, pen ready with a pad to take my preference down. I smiled slightly, _at least she maintains her professionalism, even if she is a fangirl_ I thought to myself.

"I'll have coffee" I stated. The woman nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, so that's two coffees, two sets of cakes and the full breakfast meal for each of you?" she stated, before looking to us for final confirmation. Natsu nodded hurriedly, before I could interject to question anything.

"Yes, that's it" he smiled. The waitress nodded, before flipping the pad closed and moving off to deal with our order. Once she was gone I looked to Natsu.

"Two sets of cakes?" I questioned him with faint amusement. The pinkette nodded with a hungry expression.

"It's not as big as it sounds, the cakes are really small" he said. I chuckled slightly.

"Really…" I mumbled, before looking around. Natsu seemed to grow quiet. After a little while he spoke up.

"Did you not want me to do that?" he asked me. I gave a mildly confused expression, before I realised to what he was referring.

"No, I'm okay with you ordering for me. I'm not that fussy an eater, plus it makes things easy" I said with a slight shake of my head. Natsu smiled slightly.

"Okay then" he said, before a quiet rose over us again. I turned my attention to the window of the café, looking out into the relatively quiet street outside. My thoughts drifted slightly, from topic to topic, however soon my train of thought was derailed as Natsu spoke up. "Hey Sting, what's up?" he asked me. Once more I turned to look at Natsu.

"Nothing" I said. Natsu frowned and pouted at me.

"Then why does it _smell_ like you're thinking about something serious?" he asked me. I sighed defeatedly. _Of course, he can smell it. I was stupid for thinking I could hide anything from him_ I thought to myself, before I decided to give him an answer.

"I was just wondering… well, how you'd react if say… a girl came up to me and asked me out?" I stated, trying to prompt Natsu in a subtler way, rather than just outright stating what I was thinking.

Natsu gave a moment of thought, the pout on his face turning from accusing, to curious, before eventually he shrugged. "Well I guess I'd try to get you away from her" he admitted, "But only if she was being really clingy. Why'd you ask?" he added with a more focused gaze fixed on me.

I smiled. "I just wanted to know how you feel, because… I know we're keeping it quiet for now, especially since I'm a Guildmaster and everything" I said, before leaning in closer to Natsu, "Plus I just needed to ask how you'd react, since you seemed to get really defensive with that waitress before" I added with a faint smirk. Natsu gave a momentary blush, before shrugging this off with a smile.

"I saw how she was blushing when she saw you… and I've been here a lot so I noticed when her scent changed" Natsu stated, before shooting me a big grin, "However, don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself, if you think she'd ask you out?" he laughed. I pouted for a moment.

"Hmph… I'm the Master of a famous wizard's guild, so don't think it can't happen" I mumbled. This made Natsu laugh all the more.

"I know that" he said, "However I also know that the waitress we just saw has been in a relationship with the same woman for the last three years since I've started coming here. The reason I was looking to her like that was because she was wearing some new perfume that really annoyed my nose" he added with a wide grin. I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows for a moment.

"So… I… argh, don't laugh" I sighed, an embarrassed blush forming on my face as I buried my face in my hands. Natsu reached over and patted me on the shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry, we all make mistakes. Even high-and-mighty Guildmasters like yourself" he laughed pleasantly, before another person came over to our table. I looked up to see the very waitress that had been the source of my embarrassment shoot me a pleasant smile, before placing down both mine and Natsu's ordered coffees.

"Here are your drinks, gentlemen" she smiled, as she also placed down the milk, sugar and various other things required for the coffee, "The food will be ready in a few moments. If there is anything you need, I can get it for you whilst you wait" she added, looking to us both intently. Natsu shook his head, the smile still present from before.

"No, it's fine, by the way is that a new perfume I smell?" he asked her. The waitress smiled a little.

"Yes, it was a present from my partner" she smirked. Natsu nodded.

"It's nice" he lied. She laughed.

"Actually… apparently it was recommended by Lucy Heartfilia herself. We bumped into her in the market a few days ago, she was with some strange woman, who insisted on going into every shop" the waitress informed us. Natsu shrugged.

"There's been a lot going on at the guild recently. If I see Lucy I'll tell her that I saw you wearing it, or smelled I guess" he chuckled. She nodded.

"Thank you Mister Dragneel" she said politely, before looking towards the door as a new group arrived that she needed to deal with. Without another word, she made her way over to them. Once she was out of ear shot I sent a suspicious look towards Natsu.

"I thought you said that the perfume she was wearing irritated your nose?" I asked him. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, that's why after I tell Lucy I smelled her wearing it, I'm gonna tell her to keep her suggestions to herself" he grinned at me. I couldn't help but smile back.

Not long after that our food arrived, and no matter what Natsu had said, it was a _lot_ of food. The breakfast meal alone was easily enough to at least half fill me, and the six _regular_ sized cupcakes that were added to that meant that by the time I left the café with the pinkette, I already felt fit to burst.

/

A little while later, Natsu and I entered the doors of the guild hall, to be met by a most unexpected pair; Kenji and Medea. "You're here at last" Medea stated, in a tone that suggested we were late for something. _What's going on now?_ I thought in mild exasperation. The older sword-wielding man smiled.

"We would like a word with you two" he stated. I frowned at him.

"Is there an issue with the debt?" I asked him. He and Medea both shook their heads.

"Not quite" Medea said in a slightly more passive tone, "It's more a… job, specifically for you two" she stated after a short pause. Although this seemed reasonable, from her tone I could tell it would be anything but reasonable.

"Okay, should we speak elsewhere?" I asked her. Medea nodded.

"Yes, if you would follow me, darlings" she stated, before turning to go. As we followed I noticed Kenji bring up the rear, which seemed to make Natsu tense.

" _What do you think this is about, Sting?_ " he whispered to me. I shrugged.

"Probably another job, like the ones we did for them before" I reasoned. Natsu nodded, although he still seemed a little wary, not that I could blame him; Medea's tone, and that short pause she gave, had me on edge as well.

We followed Medea to a secluded room on the farthest wing of the guild. As we entered, we were greeted by Edric's wicked grin, and a very bored-looking Thomas. "Well, you two took your time getting here" Edric commented as we entered. This room was the room that the Zollzero representatives and siblings had often been seen using for the last few weeks. It wasn't a particularly well-furnished room, it only had two wooden seats set opposite a slightly more comfortable chair and desk, at which stood Edric. Medea took the seat behind the desk, whilst offering us the two chairs opposite. "If you would care to sit down, we have a little preposition for you. It has already been run by Master Makarov so it is just up to you two to decide whether you would like to take us up on it" she stated. We both nodded as we took the offered chairs. Once we had been seated, Thomas, who was sat on the floor with his back to the wall near the desk, looked up.

"Ready?" he asked, directing this more towards Edric and Medea than us. They both nodded, and Thomas then waved his arm, conjuring a number of Archive screens, whilst simultaneously maintaining the three he had floating before his eyes. On the screens appeared a number of pictures, including some of Natsu and me, all in that abandoned house back in Hargeon. "What the…" I remarked as I saw the images, "Where did these come from?".

Edric smirked. "From the memory of the Captain whom you met on your last job" he explained. I raised an eyebrow.

"Am I allowed to ask _how_ you got them?" I added. Edric shrugged.

"It's best if I just explain to you what's going on, and then leave it up to you to decide if there are any other questions" he said. I nodded in understanding, Natsu remained silent beside me, seemingly letting me do the talking. Edric looked between us for a moment, before nodding. "Right," he started, "Basically… the good Captain, came to us, the Zollzero family, seeking protection. We offered it to him, since both Medea and myself had made Arthur aware of the events that occurred on your last job, for which we were partly to blame. Thomas then 'interviewed' the Captain, and used his Archive to take copies of the memories of those events, which you now see before you" Edric gestured to the Archive screens, and the accompanying images. "Unfortunately, there are no images of the man with black hair, whom you described to me, however we believe, at least we think that it's likely, that he is part of a group that rivals our own Zollzero syndicate. This group consists of four members, along with two leaders, and have been suspected of causing several incidents in not just your job, but also others. We also believe they were the ones responsible for sending those thugs to attack our Zollzero-associated restaurant that you helped, as well as the kidnappers at the theme park" Edric continued, before looking to Medea.

The woman nodded. "As you can see, if our suspicions are correct, then they are targeting both the Zollzero name, and our associates, which at some point or another will likely include both Fairy Tail and Sabertooth. Because they have already had contact with you, it is more likely that they will target Fairy Tail first, so we wish to stop them _here_ before they cause any more issues" Medea then looked to Thomas and Edric. "Earlier today we all went about town, doing a little digging, and we believe that these rivals are already here in Magnolia. To that end we wish to exploit this opportunity to take them out" she then nodded to Thomas, who nodded and clicked his fingers, changing the images on the screens. I looked at the pictures closely; they seemed to be of some newly refurbished building, with a bright sign on the front, along with the familiar star sign that seemed to be on every establishment associated with the Zollzero family group.

Edric then continued. "In order to trap them, we decided to use the bar you of Fairy Tail destroyed, the same bar that put you in our debt, as bait. Our intention is to announce a party of sorts, in which the esteemed Zollzero children, Medea and Edric, will appear, which should be enough of an incentive to draw them out. Thomas will be stationed nearby in order to scan people's minds using his Archive, in an attempt to find our enemy. If he is successful then he will implant a form of psychic tracker spell, which will allow us to track their movements and deal with them _discretely_ at a later date" Edric smiled.

"However," Medea picked up where her brother left off, "In order to do this, we need to sell the illusion that this party is for Fairy Tail and Sabertooth to make up with the Zollzero. To that end we would ask that you two show up and act like this is the case. Before you ask why we chose you, it's because you have already had contact with our rivals. To be precise, they implanted a small curse in you, Natsu Dragneel, through that man's cursed blade, leaving a small incision in your arm. Whilst the curse is not likely to be strong enough to overcome you and take control, its presence at that party may be enough of an incentive to make at least the man who cursed you to show up, if not their whole group. If that's the case, and he approaches you in an attempt to make you do his bidding, we, the Zollzero, would ask that you play along in so far as you are able, without causing harm to either yourself, us, or Master Eucliffe. This is to avoid any incident that may cause further issues" Medea stated. Edric then smiled.

"Basically, you'd be additional bait to make this trap all the more tasty. Once we lure them out, it'll be up to us to defeat them, however I don't think that ought to be too difficult if all five of us are working together" Edric smirked. "So… do you have any questions?" he finished.

I shook my head, before nodded in understanding. "Alright, so you want to trap this guy. It's a pretty good plan, considering the short time you seem to have had on it, however I can only speak for myself" I stated, before looking to Natsu, "My only issue with this plan is that it may bring harm to Natsu depending on how that curse on him works. That means I won't participate in this without Natsu's approval. Are you alright with this, Natsu?" I turned to the pinkette. Natsu grinned at me, the prospect of violence clearly entertaining to him, as the flames within his eyes glittered.

"Yeah, it's fine with me, since I don't think any stupid curse is gonna take control of _me_ " he chuckled in an almost childish tone. "Plus," he added "it'll give me the chance to pay those guys back for what they did to us". I smiled and then turned back to Medea and Edric.

"I guess that means we're in" I confirmed for them. Edric chuckled.

"I figured you might say that" he mused. Medea remained quiet, although she seemed content with this outcome as well.

Although it did seem like a very elegant plan, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that something bad would happen.

 _I just hope that nothing happens to Natsu… especially not from that stupid curse that he got because of me…_

 **End of Chapter 16**

 **Chapter Hint; Charming**


	17. Chapter 17 - Charming

**Chapter 17 – Charming**

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

We left the room where we had discussed matters with Edric, Medea and the others. I wore a mask of nonchalance, whilst the fidgety blond seemed to be more than a little anxious about the discussed plan. "You don't think this will go well, do you?" I said to him, as we began the walk back to the guild bar. Sting looked to me with unsure eyes.

"It's not that it won't go well… it's just…" he trailed off, seemingly unsure of what exact words he needed to express his mind. I gave him time to think; unlike me, Sting seemed to fixate on stuff more, and I had learned from the various experiences I had with him on jobs that giving him time to just stop and think things through would usually yield positive results. After a while, Sting looked back to me. I smiled at him reassuringly.

"I know it could be dangerous, however I don't think it would be so bad that you should worry like this" I commented, moving to pat his shoulder comfortingly. Sting looked at the contact, before stopping dead in his tracks.

"It's not the danger that worries me, it's _you_ " he said. I frowned at him upon hearing this.

"What do ya mean 'it's me'? I'm not gonna hurt you" I stated in a mildly confused tone. Sting smirked.

"Are ya sure about that?" he stated bluntly. I was slightly taken aback by this comment, especially since it was coming from him, my boyfriend, however I allowed him to continue speaking without barking at him. "I know that you wouldn't ever mean to hurt me, at least not since we made up after the Grand Magic Games last year... however with that curse… you may not get a choice Natsu, and I don't _want_ to have to fight you. Not now that we're together…" Sting explained, before looking up at me. As our eyes met I could see the glimmering light from within, the loving light of a Dragon.

"I know you don't…" I mumbled, "B'cause…" I didn't want to say it; neither of us had said _it_ yet, however now felt like a time to be saying it, even though we had only spent a very short time together as boyfriends yet. _Do all couples go through shit like this when they start going out? Or is it only because its fucking me that our lives are in danger only a few days after starting to date?_ I thought somewhat angrily.

Whilst I thought this, Sting pulled me close to him, and wrapped his arms around me, holding me warmly. "You're my boyfriend, I would rather fuck you than fight you" he laughed, in a voice that was a little hollow.

I reciprocated his embrace for a moment, before checking both ways down the corridor we were in. With the coast seemingly clear, I pulled Sting in for a quick kiss. "I would rather do that too…" I grinned as we pulled away from each other. Sting shrugged.

"We could, however-" he began, before being stopped suddenly.

"You didn't let me finish" I interjected quickly. Sting looked at me a little oddly, but listened despite being interrupted. "I was going to say, I would rather do that too, but only _after_ the job is done" I finished a little sharply. Sting maintained his odd look for a moment, before frowning.

"How are you so confident that nothing is gonna happen to you? That curse could be used against us at any time" he said. I smiled.

"I'm confident because I know that if anything happens _you_ will be there to stop me, dummy. You, Edric and Medea are all strong, and capable fighters, right?" I said to him, eliciting a small nod of agreement from the White Dragon Slayer. With a smile, I chuckled. "Plus, it's not like I'm gonna _let_ them take control of me, I'll put up one damn hell of a fight" I added, which earned a slightly more enthusiastic nod, and even a smile, from the blond this time.

"Okay, I suppose that's true" Sting admitted, before he pouted, "But still…" I shook my head.

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" I sighed. He frowned at this.

"Hey, I'm only worrying for my boyfriend's safety!" he barked, before suddenly looking around. Despite the volume of the outburst, we seemed to still be some way from any group of wizards that could hear us. After ensuring that we were still alone, Sting looked back to me. "Is it wrong for me to want to keep you safe?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"No, it's not wrong" I stated, before smiling, "However, there is a difference between wanting to keep me safe, and not having any faith in me to protect myself. Hell, you should _remember_ how strong I am from the time we fought against each other" I added cockily. This seemed to have some pacifying effect on Sting, who eventually sighed.

"Okay, fine, I believe you're strong. Just promise me if you feel the curse taking over you'll tell me straight away" he said. I nodded.

"Of course, I will" I stated quickly, exasperated by the blonde's overprotectiveness. Sting nodded at this.

"Alright" he said, before motioning for us to continue walking down the corridor, together. As we walked I smiled to him.

"So… was that all you were worrying about?" I asked him, expecting him to nod. Sting, surprisingly, shook his head.

"No, actually" he chuckled. I pouted at him.

"What's so funny?" I asked him. He laughed.

"I was just wondering… do you have anything to wear for this little party? Only, I've seen the stuff you usually wear, and I'm thinking that this place might be a little more… _high end_ … for sandals" he smirked. My jaw dropped at Sting's statement.

"What's wrong with my clothes?!" I questioned him loudly. Sting held up his hands, laughing at me still.

"Nothing, not for going on jobs anyway" he started, before putting a finger to his chin, "However… we're going to this place to 'sell the illusion' that Fairy Tail and Sabertooth are trying to suck up to the Zollzero's, right?" I nodded.

"Yeah, so what does this have to do about my clothes?" I asked him.

"Well… I can't think of any time where I've seen you in something that would be appropriate for this situation" Sting stated, a little bluntly. I frowned at him for a moment, before my face lit up.

"What about the stuff I wore for the big party after the Grand Magic Games?" I asked him. Sting shrugged.

"That's alright for formal situations" he started, which made me wear a cocky grin, albeit only for a moment, "But… this won't be a proper formal situation. The place we're going is still a bar, just a more… _expensive_ one. You'd need to be wearing something more… I don't know, stylish I guess, kind of classy" Sting muttered. I sighed.

"Don't you think you're over thinking this a little?" Sting shook his head, his expression turning suddenly very serious.

"No, if we're gonna succeed here, we need to be properly prepared. That's why I think we should go on a shopping trip and buy the clothes we need" he stated, very seriously. I shuddered at the thought of going shopping for clothes; the only time I would ever enjoy shopping, would be for food, and nothing else, plus I'd spent too much time being dragged around boutiques by Lucy, Lisanna and Erza to find the experience enjoyable.

"Do we have to?" I pleaded in a whiney tone. Sting nodded adamantly, his face breaking into a smile.

"Yes, we're going shopping" he said, before grinning "And we'll be going right now, before you can escape" he declared. I almost made a run for it at those words, however Sting was quicker. With that annoying grin on his face he lunged towards me, before grabbing hold of my wrist and practically dragging me out of the guild against my will, earning a few intrigued stares from onlookers.

 _Shit, I could see Gray and Lucy laughing whilst we left… I'm so gonna make Sting pay for this, especially if they start making fun of me_ I thought as I was helplessly dragged off. _Just as soon as I work out a way to escape from him first…_

/

The next day, at about 7PM, Sting and I entered the guild hall once again. We had not been to Fairy Tail since our abrupt departure yesterday. I had suggested returning to the guild right after our little shopping trip ended, primarily to find out if any rumours had begun to be spread. Sting, however, said he had to go post a letter and keep Rogue up to date on their affairs, leaving me to return to my home alone with all the stuff we'd bought.

"Well well well" Edric greeted us from within the guild itself. The young Card-and-Dice Mage was alone, sitting at an unused booth, whilst the remainder of the guild quietly mumbled to themselves. Catching whispers of conversation with my superior hearing, I could hear speculation about Edric's current appearance, as well as murmurs suggesting that Sting and my meeting with him had not gone completely unnoticed. _Damn Sting, leaving so soon… I knew rumours would spread_ I thought to myself as the White Dragon and I took seats opposite Edric.

I glanced to Sting momentarily, before looking back to Edric. From the blond boy's appearance, I realised that Sting had indeed been right to suggest our shopping trip, not that I'd admit that of course, although he had seemed to enjoy himself a little _too_ much yesterday, when he picked out outfit after outfit for me to try on. "You two both certainly look the part" Edric commented, as he glanced between us. Sting gave me a look, quickly followed by a cocky smirk. _Oh… he's gonna be sooooo annoying about this later, isn't he?_ I complained internally.

"We figured we should buy some clothes to suit the situation, especially given our little roles in all this" the White Dragon said plainly. I nodded in agreement with this statement. Sting and I were both wearing dressy shirts, mine in a fiery red, and Sting's in a paler blue, along with black trousers and shoes. I had the first two buttons of my shirt left undone, whilst Sting kept all but the top button closed, a fact which annoyed me since it meant I wouldn't be able to catch glimpses of _any_ of his body for all of tonight.

Despite the money Sting and I spent the previous day, when looking to Edric, I couldn't help but feel outdone. The teen wore a silvery shirt, and dark blue waistcoat, each of which clearly cost at least double what we had spent. He also had matching dark blue trousers of a similar shade of blue, along with various other expensive accessories. From a gold watch on his left wrist, to a gold-and-silver bracelet on his right, that appeared, from what I could see at least, to have his name engraved into it. In short, the young boy appeared to be the epitome of 'rich kid'. I also noted that he had pins in each side of his shirt collar, both of which held a tiny crystal lacrima in the centre of his family crest; I had noticed that he always seemed to be wearing these. "So, where's your sister and brother, I thought we were meeting here?" Sting asked Edric as we sat in a somewhat anxious silence. Edric chuckled.

"Medea always likes to be fashionably late, it takes her a little extra time to get ready" he winked. Sting chuckled. "And Tom went on ahead to establish a perimeter. He's using his Archive Magic protocols to do something that I guess you could call and enchantment, although nothing nearly as flashy as the stuff Freed does" Edric added. Sting nodded in understanding, before a movement caught his eyes.

From the direction of the bar, Haruki appeared, wearing something different to his usual suit. "Yo" he greeted us, as he came to lean beside where Edric sat. The fake-blond and real-blond teenagers both shared a slight look that did not go unnoticed by either Sting or me.

"You're coming?" Sting questioned him. Haruki nodded, before gesturing down to his attire. Unlike Edric, he wore something slightly less expensive, but still equally as formal; with a black waistcoat, white shirt, and, keeping with the style, black trousers and shoes.

"Yeah, that's right. Since my old man and Thomas will be a few minutes away, I'll be stationed as a bartender in order to be there in case you guys need some support" he explained. Sting and I both nodded, although I was a little less enthusiastic about hearing of Haruki's participation in this little mission; I still couldn't figure out what it was that pisses me off about this boy, but just like Laxus, Gajeel, Gray and many others, his very presence always annoyed me. _Weird…_

After a few more minutes of waiting, Medea finally arrived in all the splendour and glamour that one would expect of such a rich girl. "I do apologise, did I keep you waiting long sweeties?" she said as she approached us, her tone as condescending and arrogant as always. Her arrival elicited a loud murmur across the guild that appeared to originate from the direction of Maccao and Wakaba's seats. Edric shrugged at his sister.

"Well, it's not like I'd expect you to ever look at a clock, since you could never turn yourself away from a mirror long enough to check the time" the young boy stated to his elder sister, eliciting a vicious pout from the blond woman. Medea narrowed her violet eyes at her sibling, before smirking and flicking her blond locks.

"Well it's not like I would ever expect you, dear brother, to understand what true _beauty_ is" she retorted. Edric laughed.

"I don't need to understand it; I _am_ true beauty, my dear sister. Beauty, style, class, wit… I'm the one who inherited it all from both our Mother and Father" he mused, standing up and gesturing to himself dramatically to further his own point. Medea almost snarled at Edric's antics, however she appeared to catch herself in time, and turned the gesture into a grunt of displeasure.

"Only a child would act like that, however _I_ will instead take the more _adult_ role here and allow you to make your antics without choosing to give a response" she said in a very cocky manner. Edric chuckled.

"Guess that means I win then" he stated, before looking to us and ignoring the facial expression that Medea pulled, "Now that sis is here, shall we go?" he asked us. Sting looked to me for a moment. From his expression, I could tell we were both thinking the same thing; _this_ kid, with all his childish antics, is the person who controls our debt.

With mutual smiles Sting and I nodded, before getting up and leaving with the two Zollzero children and their Bullet Mage escort.

/

We arrived at the establishment only a little while later. Besides the few mutterings of Edric and Medea, or Sting and I, each of us had remained quiet, our eyes scanning our surroundings as if we expected a sudden attack before we reached our destination. As we walked our minds each remained preoccupied by our own individual thoughts.

Upon entering the doors of the bar, Edric and Medea were ushered by the manager into a separate room, both Sting and I close behind. Only Haruki did not follow, as he had other things to prepare for as his new role as barman. I was surprised that the fake-blond teen was taking on such a role in this undercover operation, especially given his age, however Edric noticed my slight look of surprise, and confirmed for me that Haruki had already been trained in such a role due to the necessities of their families work.

Once we were all seated in a room above the main bar, we decided to discuss things one last time. "Right, so we all know the plan?" Edric started the impromptu meeting, "Medea and I will move about the bar, attempting to locate anyone who may be connected to the group that have been antagonising us. Natsu and Sting," he nodded slightly in our direction, "You will be on standby at the bar, or anywhere in the vicinity. Appearance is important here, so it would certainly appear odd for you to only stay at the bar all night, meaning you will have to mingle and move about somewhat as well" Sting and I both nodded in receipt of this information.

"Right, we just have to act natural" I voiced my understanding. Medea smiled.

"Correct. Once Edric or I have found a target, we will have to either trick them outside, or subdue them _very_ _quietly_. We've also arranged for _this_ room to be used to hide any… er… unconscious bodies" she stated. Once more Sting and I nodded.

"What about Thomas and Kenji? And Haruki?" Sting then asked the pair. Edric smiled.

"Haru will be behind the bar. He's been trained for that job, like I told you earlier, however we should stress now that you are _not_ to accept any drinks from anybody but Haruki. On top of being an extra pair of hands should we need 'em, Haruki is also going to be your contact. So long as you only accept drinks from him, you can be guaranteed that nothing _untoward_ has been slipped into the cocktail, understand?" Sting and I looked to each other, before nodding.

"Yeah…" I said a little unsurely. Although I had expected some degree of danger when accepting a mission from people such as these Zollzero family members, I had not expected there to be risk even in the very drinks we were being given.

"One more thing," a voice interjected suddenly, as an Archive screen appeared in mid-air. Everyone turned to face the screen, which only displayed a wavy line that moved as the voice played out. "Kenji and I are stationed in a hotel further down the street. We are within range of my Archive Magic, however only just. I can make out signatures of people, and tag them for information, however I _cannot_ tell specific individuals apart. I also will have to avoid using telepathy in case it gives us away. For this reason, I would prefer it if you isolate suspects so I can mark them with my magic from afar, and then bring them here where I can communicate my findings to you without worry" Thomas' voice played out. Edric smiled.

"Couldn't get any closer to the action, huh bro?" Edric stated. Thomas' voice played out an audible sigh.

"No. Due to the strength of my power, it would be likely any skilled Mage would be able to detect my psychic invasion the moment I attempted to do so from a close range, hence I chose this location. Kenji is downstairs in the lobby of the hotel, so if I give him word he can be there in three minutes" Thomas explained. Edric nodded to the empty screen.

"Alright then, that makes sense. If that's all, then I guess we should get ready and go downstairs" Edric stated. Thomas' screen vanished.

As I stood up, assuming Sting would follow, I noticed the other Dragon Slayer remain seated. Looking back behind me, I saw Sting's head face to Edric. "I've just got one question" he interjected, causing Edric to raise an eyebrow, "How are _you_ a child gonna be able to mingle in this place, where children are not supposed to be allowed?" Sting asked Edric. I frowned in thought for a moment, before I realised that I had not yet even thought about Edric's physical age.

Edric on the other hand smiled. "I believe I've shown you this trick before, but perhaps I should refresh your memory" Edric chuckled cockily, before snapping his fingers. With a puff of magical smoke, the teenage figure before us suddenly became an adult of about twenty years of age, with the same blond hair and glittering green eyes. "See?" Edric smirked.

Sting smiled. "Oh right, I forgot you could use Transformation Magic" he stated. I nodded.

"You did the same sorta thing back at the theme park" I added on, "Except then you were going to look _younger_ not older" I smiled. Edric laughed.

"Never underestimate a Zollzero… although I can only do minor physical changes with the Transformation Magic I know" he said. Medea laughed loudly.

"Similarly," she stated, as she stepped forward "I'll be doing the same trick" she smirked wickedly. Sting and I both took a moment to process that the woman beside us was Medea Zollzero; she looked completely different. Unlike Edric, who was recognisable, albeit obviously a little older, Medea had changed everything from her hair colour, which was now a dark ebony, to her build and even her height. The only thing that was consistent was the dress she wore. "Well how do I look boys?" she asked. Sting and I looked to each other. She smiled. "Oh sorry, I forgot I was asking the wrong audience" she added, which made me and Sting both narrow our eyes on her for a moment.

"Would you please stop saying stuff like that? People'll get the wrong idea about us" Sting asked her. Medea shrugged.

"Maybe if you weren't so cute, I would" she stated, before gesturing to the door. "However, I think the time for idle chatter has passed, now it's time to get to work" she added with a slightly more serious tone.

I looked to Sting and grinned. "Guess it means it's time for us to have some fun" I chuckled.

/

 **Zollzero Bar, Summer Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

We re-entered the bar to find it full of people. In the short time that we were upstairs, the place had really filled up, so much so that Natsu and I had to practically force our way to the bar. Once we showed our faces, Haruki appeared, two cocktails in his hands ready for us. "You two took your time" he smirked. We shrugged.

"Didn't know this place'd get so full, was it like this when you guys, you know, busted it up?" I asked Natsu. Unlike the Fairy Tail guild, we of Sabertooth had decided to do our end of the joint mission a little more discretely, meaning we avoided any damage to the Zollzero bar in our town. Unfortunately, unlike here in Magnolia, where the dealers were acting on their own, all of the members of the bar _we_ investigated were in on the trade and didn't take too lightly to us beating up one of their main suppliers; that was when things got violent and stuff got smashed. Natsu shook his head with regards to my inquiry.

"It wasn't like this then, however this place was practically _unheard_ of when we attacked. It must be because of all the stuff that happened here that people know about it, and because of that more people have come" Natsu reasoned. Haruki shook his head.

"It's more likely that the rumours we spread about Edric and Medea coming here made more people come because there will be many who want to try to befriend them. You know, so they can get in with the Zollzero family name" Haruki stated observationally. I shrugged.

"That seems reasonable" I said, before Haruki looked away. Another bar staff member appeared to have just received a large order of drinks from a customer, and needed some assistance to get through the order at speed. With a nod to each of us, Haruki quickly came to his assistance. Whilst he went away, Natsu and I took our drinks and found somewhere discrete to linger.

"Wow, this is actually pretty good" Natsu commented, as he took a drink out of the thing Haruki had handed him.

I gave him an odd look, before taking a sip of my own; sure enough, it tasted amazing. "Hm… didn't realise Haruki had these hidden talents" I mused. Natsu smiled, before he gestured over to another area. I followed his outstretched arm to see Edric chatting to some guy at the other end of the bar.

"Talk about quick. He's only been here five minutes" Natsu said. I laughed.

"What, are you jealous of him or something?" I asked, raising my eyebrows accusingly. Natsu pouted.

"You know it's not like that, I just mean for a guy his age to be so… good… at this. Makes me wonder what his life's been like, you know" I nodded.

"All of them have some pretty dangerous skills. Medea was strong enough to even beat _me_ in a fight, and Thomas… to be honest, he seemed to be holding back a little when I saw him fight you" Natsu almost growled at that statement.

"I could take him" he defended. I shrugged.

"Maybe if you went all out… but I don't know. I don't think _I_ could beat him if he went all out, and I think Edric's probably just as bad if he was properly serious, not that he ever seems to be serious about anything. Medea, well… we know she's powerful, and Arthur managed to beat Erza, so he must be skilled too" I said. Natsu frowned.

"Don't overthink it too much, besides we're not gonna have to fight 'em if we pay off the debt, right?" the pinkette asked me. I smiled at his uncharacteristic show of reason.

"Right. Anyways, let's forget about that for tonight, and just focus on having 'fun'. Come on, I wanna dance with you" I said, before grabbing Natsu's hand and pulling him in the direction of the music. The pinkette grinned, before accepting my invitation.

"Alright, but don't expect me to go easy on you, _I'm_ the best dancer in the guild" he said challengingly. I smirked playfully back at him.

"So, you want to play it like that then?" Natsu nodded, making me smile even broader, "Then how about we make it more fun; whoever dance's better gets to do whatever they want to the loser, deal?" I didn't even need to hear Natsu agree, the grin on his face, and the flickering flames within his eyes were more than enough confirmation.

"You're on" he beamed.

/

We returned to the bar a little while later. It was still busy, however Haruki appeared not to be doing much. Leaning against the top, Natsu and I couldn't stop ourselves from giggling like children. After a little while dancing we found we both couldn't agree on a winner, so instead we came to the compromise of getting to _each_ do whatever we wanted to the other later on, after we completed this mission.

"What can I get ya?" Haruki smiled at us, as he approached. Sting and I grinned.

"Same as before, they were great" we both said in unison. Haruki smiled.

"Thought you might like those little concoctions" he mused, before moving off to get the necessary drinks to mix together. Whilst we waited, Natsu and I looked about the bar. We had been trying to keep a track of both Edric and Medea, however at some point we lost sight of the elder Zollzero sibling.

"Edric looks like he's having fun, despite everything" Natsu commented. I nodded.

"Yeah, he's surprisingly good at talking to people. That makes the seventh guy I've seen him approach tonight. And I think I've seen him approach… about eight girls" I added with a smirk.

"Fourteenth guy" Haruki corrected, as he reappeared with our drinks, "And he's approached six girls. Although, there was that group of women who approached him" Haruki added. The bar was less busy now, as most people had ordered their main drinks, however there were still several people returning to get another cocktail or other drink. I pulled a mildly surprised expression at Haruki.

"You've been able to keep tabs on us, even during all of your work?" I asked him. The fake-blond teen smirked.

"What did you think I was doing? I am here for a reason you know, plus it wouldn't be very good for a marksman such as myself not to manage to keep track of four simple targets, even in a busy room like this" he stated. I shrugged in agreement with this.

"I suppose that's true. Speaking of keeping track, do you know where Medea is, we've lost sight of her?" I asked him. Haruki nodded, however his eyes trailed off to another arrival at the bar further to my left.

"She's in one of the private rooms with… a… er… _person_ " Haruki said, before moving to deal with the other customer, leaving Natsu and my orders on the bar in front of us. The pinkette picked his glass up and raised it to his lips, I quickly followed suit. With grins on our faces we downed the mixtures, before placing the empty glasses back down on the bar. As I did this, I felt someone tap my shoulder. Looking to my right, I was met with the broad grin of Edric.

"Well, are you two having fun?" he asked us pleasantly. His older features were so much like his real face that it was kind of creepy to think he was only fifteen, however his attitude was still the same, regardless of his apparent physical age.

"Yes, we are. This place is actually kind of nice" I commented. Natsu nodded beside me.

"Yeah, it is" he agreed. Edric beamed.

"Cool. I'm having a little fun too, I guess… unfortunately I haven't met anyone really _interesting_ " he winked at us. I smiled.

"I don't know, you seemed to be having a good conversation with that guy over there" I nodded my head in the rough direction that Natsu and I had last seen him. Edric smirked.

"I thought he might have been the guy we've been looking for, since I got a strong magical presence from him, however after a little chat I found out he's just a travelling Mage. He could use some interesting Light Magic though, making little bubbles of light that danced around is hands" Edric mused, as Haruki returned. "Hey Haru, how's the working life?" Edric greeted the other teen.

Haruki smirked. "It's alright, what can I get you?" he asked Edric.

The blond 'man' laughed. "You know what I like? Get one for each of these too" he stated, gesturing to me and Natsu in turn with one sweeping gesture. Natsu smiled brightly.

"What are you getting us?" he asked Edric.

"Just a little something I call my _special_. Haruki's the only person I know beside myself that can make it just right" he explained vaguely. As Haruki nodded in receipt of Edric's order, another man moved to the bar behind Edric.

"So how do you get these guys to talk to you, anyways. Have you been trained or… is it just experience…?" I trailed off as I was unsure of exactly what I was allowed to ask Edric regarding his past. The Zollzero boy just shrugged.

"It's just my winning, charming personality" he grinned. I pouted at him.

"Is that so?" I said dryly, earning a little head shake from Edric.

"No, really it's just this" Edric said, before he then reached into his waistcoat, to a sealed pocket within. As he withdrew his hand he produced a card, before handing it to me to look at. I observed it for a moment, before I passed to Natsu to look at.

"Charm?" Natsu voice aloud, reading the single word written on the front of the expertly designed card. Beside that word there was a large intricate flowing pattern that acted as a border, along with a massive pink heart that glowed faintly. I handed the card back to Edric, who replaced it in his waistcoat.

"It's my CHARM Card. It acts to make people well… friendlier. It's not really like some of those other charms, the falling in love ones… it's more like a mild attraction that makes it easier for people to come out of their shell around me. That's what makes me seem so approachable to these people I've been investigating" Edric explained, "It also makes them much looser lipped" he added with a smirk, just as Haruki came over with our three drinks.

"Here you go" he said, placing them before us. Edric smiled happily.

"Thanks Haruki" he beamed, patting Haruki on the shoulder friendlily. Haruki accepted the gesture, before turning to the customer beside Edric, taking his order. As Haruki moved off to fulfil the request, Edric looked to us for a moment.

"Just keep quiet" he muttered lowly to us, with his smile still in place. Natsu and I looked to each other for a moment, before we nodded. Despite his smiley appearance, Edric's tone had been surprisingly dark, and we both quickly realised that Edric must have sensed some kind of danger. As Natsu and I each wondered what Edric had noticed, the disguised teen turned to the man behind him. "Well hi there" he greeted the male. The man turned to Edric.

"Hello. What are you here for? Just fun?" he asked Edric, who shrugged.

"A bit of fun, nothing more. Just some… harmless fun" Edric smiled pleasantly. The man frowned at Edric and narrowed his eyes.

"If that's true why do I sense a charm spell, are you trying to get me to do something I might not want to do?" the man replied with a knowing tone. Edric pouted at him.

"Aw… so you noticed my little trick" he said in an almost playful tone of voice. The man nodded.

"Of course, I did, only an idiot would not notice he was being charmed" the man replied, "Now if that's all, I'll be taking my drink and leaving" he said, just as Haruki returned with the man's order. Edric shrugged.

"Oh well, it's your loss" he said, before the guy left.

Edric turned back to me and Natsu. "Well… that was more anticlimactic than I was expecting" he said. Both Natsu and I looked to him incredulously.

"I thought charm spells would only be broken if the person knew they were being affected?" I said to Edric confusedly. The teen mage shrugged.

"Well… that's true for _some_ charms. This one is so weak it's likely that it only affects one in three people at most… if they're in a relaxed state" he said. Natsu then pouted.

"And if that guy was not dangerous, why did you suddenly get so serious?" he asked. I nodded in agreement with his query, equally as intrigued by the blonde's sudden change in behaviour. Edric rubbed the back of his head for a moment.

"Well… you see…" he began, before suddenly a figure interrupted us; the same guy from just before.

"What did you do to that drink?" he questioned Edric fiercely. Edric smirked back at him.

"So, you noticed. Not to worry, it's only a little spell I had my friend slip into that drink" he said, before looking to Haruki, who produced a card and handed it back to Edric. "Should make you feel sleepy in three…" Edric didn't continue counting, as not a moment later the man began falling forward; Edric caught him mid-fall. "Right, let's get him to that room" he stated, looking to me and Natsu. We once more looked to him incredulously.

"I thought he wasn't dangerous" I stated a little confusedly. Edric shook his head.

"He's got a small cut on his palm. It's fresh, and it's unlikely he's just been in a knife-fight from the look of him, so that only leaves one possibility" Edric explained. We both nodded in understanding, before Haruki butted in.

"Er, Edric" he began, earning Edric attention, just as he was about to move off with the male slung over his shoulder. "Medea went into that room over half an hour ago, it's unlikely it's taken her _that_ long to get information from the poor guy she had with her. Something must be off" he said. Edric nodded.

"Agreed. In that case, I'll take sleepy here upstairs, Natsu and Sting you go and check on my sister. Haruki should know where she is, right?" he looked to the bartending teen for a moment, who nodded.

With that nod, Natsu and I left our drinks at the bar, and began following Haruki towards the back. As we neared the room we heard a shout for help and with that, and one quickly exchanged glance, we all rushed off to find Medea.

/

We entered the room where Medea was supposed to be, only to find a quite surprising scene. Instead of the expected struggle between the ebony-haired temptress and her target, we instead found a desperate battle for survival between a large, jet-black snake, and the whimpering man it was constricting. The man looked to us as we entered, his eyes dull but his hands flailing and desperate, a moment later he collapsed, not dead, but unconscious, the serpent slithering off of his body and away to an emptier corner. There, following a puff of magical smoke, Medea stood with an almost serpentine smile playing with her lips.

"Well he proved stronger than I thought, he was able to last a whole two minutes" she mused to herself "Unfortunately, beside that cut, he didn't seem willing to give up any information" Haruki smiled at her.

"I see you were able to deal with this person yourself, as expected Lady Zollzero" he stated. Medea nodded.

"Yes, although it was unfortunate that they did not give me any juicy information. After a quick… _inspection_ , I found a cut on his leg, small and discrete, but definitely fresh. It had the stench of a curse to it too, so I figured this must be a servant of our target. How is Edric doing?" she stated, as she brushed herself off. Natsu and I remained silent, the show of strength, and the use of the same tactic on this man as she had done in my battle with her reminded both of us how much of a formidable foe this woman was.

"Edric has dealt with his own target, and is stashing them away in the intended room" Haruki relayed. Medea nodded.

"Alright then" she said, before looking to us, "We'd best get to the room, and then Thomas can use Edric's captive to try to track the real perpetrator. Haruki, I trust you can seal this room with a spell to keep this man contained here?" she asked the teen. Haruki nodded.

"Yes, m'lady" he replied, "I'll do that and then instruct the manager of this place not to allow _anyone_ in here. After that I will return to my post and keep watch. You can signal me if you require my assistance, correct?" Medea nodded.

"Good, aren't you just a sweetie. I can see why Edric is always so interested in you, bar skills, marksmanship and magical talents, you're the full package. We'll call you if we need you" she said, before motioning to us. "Let's go" she said a moment later. Natsu and I nodded, currently it seemed that we had very little to do with this operation, however if everything panned out as expected, we knew we'd have to fulfil our roles soon enough.

 _Especially if this guy is nearby_ I thought as we moved through the back of the bar to the other room, in time to find Edric sitting beside the same man from earlier, this time tied to a chair. "I see sis was okay then" he mused. Medea nodded.

"Yes, has Thomas made contact?" she asked.

"No" a voice rang out, before an Archive screen suddenly manifested in the air. Once more Thomas was not visible, however that wavy line appeared as he spoke. "I've just noticed your presences in that room, I assume we have a guest?" he asked.

Edric smiled. "Punctual as always Thomas, and yes, he's here with us. I've tagged him with one of my cards, so you should be able to identify him" he stated.

"Yes, I am already accessing his mind. He appears to be unconscious, correct?" he asked. Edric nodded.

"Yeah, I put him to sleep before I brought him here" he confirmed. A muttering sound came from Thomas' screen.

"Incorrect. According to the gap in his memories, he's been asleep for at least two hours" he said. Edric frowned, and looked to me and Natsu.

"He was definitely awake at the bar" I said in a confused tone. Natsu nodded beside me. Medea gave an equally muddled expression, before suddenly her expression changed to one of revelation.

"Thomas… it's possible that there is another behind this, correct? Other than the known target?" she asked. Once more a muttering sound was heard, before Thomas spoke out.

"Yes. That would be the powers of one of the _other_ three targets, beside the known threat" he stated. I looked to Edric upon hearing this.

"Other targets?" I questioned him. Edric nodded.

"Yes, remember. I said there were _four_ Mages that were part of this group, plus two leaders. If it is not the power of the man _you_ met, then it is likely the powers of one of the other three. Neither of the leaders have powers like this, so it mustn't be one of them" Edric explained. I nodded, the memory of what Edric and Medea telling us back at the guild filling my mind. _Just how many enemies do they have that would dare to threaten them, not to mention a famous wizard guild like Fairy Tail?_

"I've traced this guy's memories. It seems like… yes, I can read a magic signature outside, in a side street three buildings down from you. Shall I send Kenji?" Thomas stated, his voice going deadly serious. Edric looked to Medea and then to me and Natsu.

"Well, shall we go meet them? Or should we just tag them and observe?" he questioned us. Natsu moved restlessly beside me. _There's no way he's gonna sit by quietly_ I thought to myself.

"Yeah, finally we get to do something fun. Let's go meet 'em and then beat them senseless for making threats against Fairy Tail" he beamed. I laughed, before nodding at Edric. _I thought so…_

"It seems we should go find them, otherwise we're gonna have to put Natsu on a leash just to stop him running off" I stated in an amused tone. The pinkette pouted at me upon hearing this.

"Like I'd let you put a leash on me" he retorted confidently. I continued looking to Edric.

"See" I said to him; thankfully Natsu knew when to help me make my point, even if he wasn't always aware he was doing it. Edric nodded in agreement with me.

"I get it, are you coming Medea?" he asked his sister, who had transformed back into her original form. The woman nodded viciously, before flicking her once more blond hair to the side.

"Of course. I need to pay our dear rival back for making me take on that unsightly serpent form" she stated, her tone heavily laden with the promise of vengeance and violence. I smiled wickedly as I looked around our group; whoever this person was they were definitely gonna regret picking on this group of people.

Although… I still couldn't shake the feeling that _something_ bad was going to happen.

 **End of Chapter 17**

 **Chapter Hint; A Real Nightmare**


	18. Chapter 18 - A Real Nightmare

**Chapter 18 – A Real Nightmare**

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

We exited the bar by a side entrance, Haruki remaining behind to finish sealing the other room where Edric's captive remained. The plan was simple, so simple that even I understood it with ease; Edric, Medea, Sting and I would all close off any potential escape routes for the target, whilst Kenji and Thomas maintained a position on the rooftop above them in order to prevent an upward escape. According to the information Thomas had been able to yield, the opponent we would be facing was lurking in an alley way that was blocked off at one end, meaning that their only routes for escape would be to go through us, or to attempt to escape past Kenji and Thomas. With their escape sealed, Edric and Medea would begin to speak with this person, and should that fail, they would attempt to capture them. If the person resisted, or put up a fight, Sting and I were to go in beat the crap outta the guy until he was willing to come quietly. Simple, or at least I thought so.

As we made our way down the streets towards the targeted alley, I glanced at Sting. The blond smiled at me. "Ready?" he asked me, in friendlier tone than what I'd expected. I nodded, steeling my gaze.

"Yeah" I replied, "I want to get this over quick… so we can make good on that little bet we made" I added with a smirk. Sting chuckled a little.

"As long as you're motivated I guess that's okay" he replied, before looking to Edric and Medea. Our group had stopped one alley down from where our target was, giving ourselves just enough time to catch our breath before 'negotiations', as Edric had called them, were initiated.

"Alright, so are we all ready? This fight may be tougher than we expect, and the target can control other people, so there may be civilians involved in all this too" Edric stated, "However I doubt, even if they've sensed the connection to their other puppets as having been severed, that they'll have had enough time to prepare more than one or two new puppets" he added. Medea nodded in agreement with this assessment.

"Yes. Don't feel too bad if you have to injure other people a little, Kenji has healing powers that should be on par, if not better than, Miss Wendy Marvel, so it should pose much of an issue if we have to rough a few people up" she stated. Sting and I looked to each other momentarily as we heard this information, each of us silently deciding how we should respond to this; after all, attacking civilians with magic would severely hinder our guilds reputations.

Edric seemed to note our looks with vague amusement. "I wouldn't worry about reputation too much" he stated, almost reading our minds, "After all, Thomas can always alter their memories of events. He's going to have to anyways, since we can't have people remembering their interaction with these people" Edric added with a slight shrug. Sting and I were still bother unsure about this information; however, we were not in the position to say no at this point. After another brief look, we both nodded.

"Alright, should we go confront 'em?" I asked Edric. The blond teen nodded.

"Yes. Thomas has just signalled that he's in position too, using a very discrete telepathic signal" Edric confirmed, before motioning to go. As we turned to follow him out of the side street, and into the alley were our foe was, I once more glanced at Sting. The White Dragon Slayer was not looking at me, but was rather instead looking towards Edric, his face a mask of preparedness. _He's trying not to show it, but I can smell it on him… that worry…_ I thought for a moment, before smiling to myself. _I suppose I should worry about him too, even though I know we're both gonna be fine_ …

 _I think…_

/

As we entered the alley way, we immediately found the person we expected; bent over another unconscious individual, with a cloak concealing almost all of the body. The figure did not even turn their head to acknowledge our arrival, although from the faint scent I got off of them, I could tell they were already aware of our presence. Perhaps they had known since we left the bar…

"I see the weakest two Zollzero children come to face me" the figure stated, the cowl over their face moving slightly to show that they were looking over their shoulder towards us.

Edric smirked at the individual. "I'm going to have to ask you to hand over that concealed blade of yours, and come with us" he said, in a confident, albeit wary, tone of voice. Medea remained silent; clearly in these situations, her temptress act would be useless, and in negotiations even I noticed that Edric was by far the superior diplomat.

The figure only laughed at Edric's proposal. "You really think I'd come with you?" they asked in a sarcastic tone, as they drew the blade from beneath their robes. It was akin to the scimitar I had sometimes seen foreign mercenaries use, with a glinting golden handle, and vicious curved steel blade. As soon as it was drawn I could smell the magic power held within it; a sensation easily reminiscent of the blade I saw the black-haired man use back in Hargeon, although that was a rapier and not one of these curved blades. "It seems you've already seen a blade such as this, correct?" the man suddenly said. Despite the hood I could tell they were looking, or at least referring, to me. I nodded.

"Yeah, and like that other dumb blade, I can tell this one won't do anything either" I barked at the figure, which elicited another, hollow laugh.

"Trust me, my beauty here would be much more of a _nightmare_ for you than that stupid sabre my comrade uses" the figure said. From their voice, I could tell they were male, but other than that I could get no other details, not even their build, as the cloak concealed the remainder of their body within its many folds. "However, that will probably be something for you to experience at another time. Since I will have to retreat now… once I do _this_ " the figure added, before taking the blade and using its tip to make a small incision into the thigh of the unconscious woman below him. Edric took a reactive step forward at the action, however he made no other moves.

After the deed, the man withdrew the blade back into his cloak, before standing. Not a minute later, the woman stood up, eyes open, although glazed and lifeless. "So, you were controlling them as we suspected" Edric muttered. The figure turned, their smirk visible beneath the hood.

"Ah yes… we have not met face-to-face have we, Edric Zollzero. And Medea, it has been… almost fourteen years, so I doubt you remember me" they said, before pulling back the hood. "I suppose Arthur would remember me, at least a little… however what about your brother Edric, don't you think he should stop _hiding above me_ and come down. I used to give you both sweets when you were still in your cradles" the figure laughed, before looking up and directly towards the concealed position of Thomas above him. An audible sigh was heard, before Thomas stood up on the roof top. An Archive screen materialised visibly in the darkness for a moment, before vanishing, not a moment later multiple screens appeared in a descending pattern down from the roof. Thomas stepped along each screen, before stepping off the last to stand next to Edric. "Your sensory skills were not overexaggerated in your record then" Thomas commented, as he eyed up the figure before him. The man shrugged, before running a hand through his red hair. With a clearer view of his face, I could see that this person was in their late thirties, with deep, auburn-red hair, and bright pink eyes.

"And you're just as powerful as I thought you'd be, one glance at your magic tells me that much, Thomas" they replied, their face forming a wicked smirk. "However… what did my file tell you about my _skills_?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.

"It mentioned you had the capacity to manipulate people through that sword, much like your ally, however it did not stipulate to the extent of your power" Thomas stated, almost mechanically.

The man laughed. "Alright, interesting that they'd leave such an _important_ detail out like that, but I suppose that's what I should expect from your family" he chuckled. Edric rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't matter how strong you are, you're facing three of the famous Zollzero family members, along with two Dragon Slayers, who single-handedly helped to take down the Tartaros guild. You're chances of winning this fight may as well be zero" Edric stated, his tone giving away his growing lack of patience with this character. The man sent Edric a dark look.

"Is that so?" they asked, "Because from where I'm standing, you're the one to have zero chance of winning" they mused. Edric looked at the man suspiciously.

"Why is tha-" he began, before someone interrupted him.

"Edric!" Haruki called out, causing our whole group to turn, "We got trouble!"

Indeed, it seemed that the mob chasing Haruki may have been the reason this guy was so confident.

"Fuck" Edric swore.

/

We all swivelled around to quite the unexpected sight. Haruki was running down through the streets of Magnolia at top speed, with a small mob of people behind. Older, younger, male, female, of many different builds, hair colours, races… and all of them looked at us with vague, disinterested eyes. "Looks like the pawns have finally reached their king" the red-haired man said. Edric looked to our opponent.

"I take it that means _you_ summoned them?" he asked. The man nodded with a wicked grin.

"Yes. Did you think those two I sent after you were the _only_ people had under my spell?" he mused, "Before I sent those two little puppets in after you, I made sure I had all the necessary pieces to ensure your destruction. After all, I'm no fool- taking on the Zollzero requires _finesse_ " the man laughed.

Edric pouted. "So, I'm going to assume that you're intention is to have us fight through waves of these bystanders, before we get to take you on?" he asked, continuing his line of questioning.

The man shrugged. "Well isn't that obvious" he stated. Edric smiled.

"If that's the case, then I think _this_ ought to suffice" he said, before he suddenly threw a card from the deck in his pocket. I caught a glimpse of the card right before it struck the man; it had a lightning design on it that I recognised as similar to the ones I knew Cana used.

Upon impact with the red-head, the card flashed and golden lightning erupted forth. I felt a slightly annoyed feeling rise up in my chest at that attack, since it would mean I had not got to do _any_ fighting tonight. This was proven to be a useless waste of my time, however.

As the dust cleared after Edric's sudden attack, there was left no sign of the red-head. "Tch… thought so…" Edric muttered. _What?_ I thought confusedly, before my nose caught scent of something.

"What the-" Sting began, before laughter rolled out over the night-time air.

Sting, Edric, Medea and I all turned toward the source of the noise; the red-headed man stood grinning on the opposite side of the street, with his mob of puppets between us and him. "So, you _did_ use and illusion spell to distract us" Medea commented from beside Edric. I narrowed my eyes at the man. _Illusion? But… how did I not notice his smell change?_ I thought.

I sent a glance at Sting, who returned it with a faint nod. "Yeah, I didn't notice either" he muttered quietly to me.

"This guy's illusions must be powerful if they could trick our noses" I stated. Edric walked up to stand beside Haruki, the mob only a few steps in front of them.

"Hmm… looks like we're going to have to make this quick. Haru, don't forget to use your K.O. shots instead of something deadly" Edric said, patting Haruki on the shoulder. Haruki nodded.

"Yeah, I got that Edric" he replied, before sending a smirk towards the blond teen, "Just don't forget to keep from causing _too_ much destruction, we're already costing the Zero Star and Zollzero way too much money in both hotel fees and general living fees" Haruki added. Edric sighed.

"Alright, but that makes things a little more boring" he responded, before looking over his shoulder to Sting and me.

"You two ready? Medea?" he asked. Medea scoffed and nodded.

"Of course, Edric" she said bluntly. I smiled.

"Yeah, finally we get to do some fighting" I replied. Edric nodded.

"Alright, this is how it's going to go down; Haruki and me will bust through this mob, once that happens, you two Dragon's charge through and try to get to _him._ Medea'll back you up. Once you've got him pinned, Medea can use her Magic to keep him restrained. Thomas, you keep back and use your Archive to keep track of him, don't let him use his illusions to trick us again. Everybody got that?" Edric stated. Medea frowned at Edric.

"Who put you in charge?" she asked. Edric smiled.

"Well Artie did ask _me_ to come up with a plan. As he intrusted this to _me_ , it means all this is _my_ responsibility" Edric replied. Medea shrugged.

"Fair enough, just don't let me down _darling_. Or else I'll tell Arthur, and father dearest, about all the fun you've been having at the guild, instead of doing your job" she stated with a wicked smile. Edric laughed.

"Like you're one to talk, miss daily-shopping-trip" he retorted, before looking back at the mob. The red-haired man looked to us all with vague amusement.

"So, you're all ready at last?" he asked. We all eyed him, earning an even greater grin in response. "Good. Now go my puppets" he said, before waving his arm in our direction.

At that moment the mob, and our group, rushed forwards to meet in a miniature clash of forces, right in the centre of Magnolia's streets.

/

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

The mob charged. They all wore the same dazed expression, as if they were not fully awake, yet they moved as if they were. "What's this guy's deal, how does he control all these people?" I shouted amongst the roar of the crowd, as our small group and their overwhelming numbers clashed. Edric muttered something, as he pulled out a deck of playing cards in one hand, and dice in his other.

"Well…" he threw the dice up, before catching them. Unlike the dice I had seen him use in his fight with Gray, these two dice were white and blue respectively. "Two, Six. Maximum Speed Boost" he called out, before speedily moving through the crowd, dodging their slow-moving attacks. "His sword is cursed, like that other guy's. To put it simply," he shouted above the roar, "With even a small cut he curse's them, however unlike that other guy you met, he puts everyone to sleep and then, once asleep, can control their every move" Edric finished. I nodded.

"So, we can't hurt them because they're civilians, however they'll hurt us if they get us" I stated, seeking confirmation from the blond, who was at that moment, having to dodge multiple attacks from all sides, as he found himself completely encircled by the unlucky cursed.

Edric smirked. "Exactly" he called, "You're gonna have to find a way to keep 'em down without hurting them. Like this" he stated, before drawing his cards. "Card Magic; Arme de Carte – Jack of Hearts" he called out, before the card flashed brightly, instantly being replaced by a chain, which ended in a sharp dagger-like point.

I raised an eyebrow, as I activated my White Drive and dodged attacks from either side by jumping up and away. "I thought you said _don't_ hurt him" I commented, before looking over to check how Natsu was holding up. Until a path had been made for us to get at the red-haired guy, we held back, sticking to the outside of the mob of sleeping puppet-people. The pinkette was dodging like me, although his fists were immolated. _Hopefully he doesn't go overboard like normal_ I thought a little pessimistically. Edric smiled directly at me, as he swung the chain around.

"I'm not gonna hurt anybody. Watch" he said, before swinging the chain out, making it wrap around a large number of mob-members. They group groaned, but did not get up as the chain held them all tight together. "See" he smiled. I nodded. _That gives me an idea…_

"Alright, but how's this" I said, before rushing forward, light enveloping my fists. I could feel Natsu's eyes on me as I dived into the very mob we were supposed to be avoiding. With multiple palm-strikes I struck several of the dazed people, funnelling my magic in order to incapacitate, but not harm, them. "White Dragon Claw" I called out as I delivered each blow.

Natsu audibly laughed. "Hey, I remember that move" he commented, as he made his way over to me. I smiled at him.

"Do you?" I asked, surprised that Natsu could remember anything in detail, least of all a spell he only saw once.

The pinkette nodded at me. "Yeah, of course I do. You used it on me in the Grand Magic Games, right?" he smiled brightly. I nodded.

"Yeah. It'll leave them all with that stigmata, which should stop all of them from moving" I stated, elaborating on my use of the spell. Natsu patted me on the shoulder.

"Good thinking" he congratulated me, before looking forward. Even with the gaps Edric and I had made in the mob, there was still no clear path for us to move through. Yet.

"Hey Natsu," I said, earning the pinkette's attention. He looked to me, "Close your eyes" I commanded.

Natsu pouted, however after a moment he just smiled, closing his eyes, although his body was still tense, and prepared for combat. I smiled at the trust he placed in me, before I continued with my plan. I could already see Edric begin using more cards and dice spells to keep the mob at bay. _It'll take too long to take them out one by one… but I think I can at least make Natsu and me a path_ I thought, before I began concentrating magic to my hands. As I sent more and more magic power into the orbs of white light that encased my fists, each moment the light getting brighter and brighter. After only a few moments the light was almost blinding. "Right here goes" I called out, before brining my hands together in one big clap. As the spheres of white connected they exploded outwards, making a bright light. "Agh…" the mob groaned as the light blinded them momentarily.

"Now's my chance" I crowed, before rushing forwards, my speed greatly increased by my active White Drive. I charged forwards as the mob scrabbled together after my sudden, blinding attack. After a moment, I returned to Natsu's side, the pinkette smiling at me, eyes now open.

"So ya blinded them all then used that spell?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah. Effective, right?" I answered him. Natsu nodded, before looking at the visible gap in the crowd.

"Yes, now let's get going" he said, before dashing forward through the space I opened up. I nodded, before running up with Natsu. As we moved to begin attacking our new target, the red-headed man, I heard Edric call from behind us.

"Go. But don't let him cut you!" he said. We both nodded in understanding, before eyeing up the grinning cloaked figure. Medea, in the form of a deep black hound, began running up beside us.

"I'll help you. If you're able to do what you just did there, I can constrict him" she stated. I nodded.

"Got it" I said, before looking to Natsu, "Natsu, you can do as much as you want, although… don't destroy the street okay?" I smiled at him. Natsu rolled his eyes at me.

"Well duh, I know. I just gotta make sure the buildings are still intact, right?" he said with a slight pout. I shook my head and sighed slightly. _He's still gonna go waaaay over the top_ I thought, before shrugging, _but I guess that's just his way of fighting… not like I haven't done it myself_ I added with a faint smile of fondness.

Natsu and I both converged on the red-headed man's position as quickly as we could, making sure that his mob would be unable to stop us. The man smiled at us. "So, you managed to reach me, amusing. Alright then, let's have a taste of your power Dragon Slayers" he said as we approached, opening his arms wide in welcome. Natsu and I narrowed our eyes on him.

With scowls on our faces we both infused our fists with magic and sent them crashing towards the man, only for each to rebound off of him, as if he was made of magic-resistant rubber. "What, how?" I barked as my attack was completely negated. The red-head smirked.

"Aww… was that all you had? You're gonna have to do better than _that_ " he said. Natsu growled.

"Fine, eat this. _Fire Dragon Roar_!" he barked loudly. The red-head raised an eyebrow and held out a hand, stopping the attack the moment it reached his flattened palm. I watched with astonishment.

"You can nullify our magic?" I questioned aloud. The man smiled.

"Perhaps, or perhaps your attacks are just so weak they will have no effect on me" he chuckled provocatively. I could see this man's words were working on Natsu, so I reached out and grabbed hold of the pinkette.

"Don't let him tempt you in, you'll just end up getting too close and getting hit by his sword" I warned Natsu. The pinkette grumbled something inaudible, but nodded in understanding.

"Alright" he said. I looked over my shoulder, to where Thomas was leaning against the wall of the building, multiple Archive screens active, some of which I could see were being used to track this man before us. _He can't see us…_ I thought, for a moment, before I noticed Thomas look up towards our direction. Suddenly I heard his voice inside my head.

 _Sting. He isn't invulnerable to magic, he's just drawing power from the people he has under his control. From these magic signatures, he has at least fifteen mages in that mob of his. I'll try to cut their power from his, once I do I will give you the signal. You then keep him still._ Thomas's voice explained. I nodded towards Thomas' direction. The blond boy smirked, before he began working on his Archive at speed, his fingers dancing over the golden keys.

With that knowledge, I turned to Natsu. "Thomas says he's being powered by some mages he has control over. We're just gonna have to try to hold him here as best we can until he runs out of their power" I explained to Natsu, and Medea who was now sitting in her dog form and watching the red-head intently. They both nodded.

"Okay. So we just keep pounding at him until he can't keep up any more" Natsu grinned. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said, before releasing my grip on his shoulder that I had held all this time. "Just be careful about his sword" I added. Natsu nodded in understanding, before flames crept up his hands, arms, feet and legs.

"I'm fired up!" he barked, before beginning to rush forward. "Let's see how long you can keep up that defence" he shouted challengingly towards the red-head, who laughed mockingly.

"You want to play games then? Well come on then, Mister Fire Dragon" he retorted, before holding up his hand to block Natsu's incoming fist. Watching Natsu at work was quite impressive to me, however I didn't have the time to properly enjoy this scene before me, not when I have a job to do. Natsu followed up his punch with a quick kick, which the red-head ducked under, however Natsu had expected this, and as he jumped up on his one leg, he brought the other down, towards his opponent. Unfortunately, this just seemed to rebound off of whatever protective field the man had erected around himself.

"Tch…" Natsu cursed as he landed from his kick only to withdraw a few steps, keeping clear out of reach of any attack the man may attempt with that cursed blade of his. "You're tough" he commented, which made the man smile, "But let's see how you do with this. Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu crowd, flames engulfing his hands, before being brought together to cause an eruption of pure crimson fire. The man laughed as the flames engulfed his body, harmlessly rebounding off of his shield.

"It's pointless… so long as I have my puppets, I can siphon their magic and use it to power myself up. This shield is not mine, it is the collective will of all those I've cursed this night" he laughed, almost maniacally. I narrowed my eyes angrily at hearing this. _How dare he steal people's magic… it's just… wrong. A wizard should use their power, not somebody else's_ I thought angrily. Just as I was about to bark something at the red-head, another noise cut in to my mind.

 _Now Sting_ Thomas signalled me. I smiled, before infusing as much magic as I could into my fists and rushing forwards. "Hey, try this!" I barked as I rushed the red-head's position, White Drive enhancing my speed well beyond my normal limit. "White Dragon's Claw!" I shouted at the top of my voice. The man smirked.

"Nice try, but ultimately pointless… wait…" the man's eyes went wide.

I smiled. "Notice have ya, well it's too late now" I smirked wickedly, "Your shields gone, now eat _this_!" I said, as my fist slammed into the man's gut.

"Ergh…" he gasped as the blow hit, light exploding out at the impact. I smiled triumphantly as the stigmata was left where my attack had hit, before I withdrew a few steps away, still wary in case, somehow, he managed to overcome my own curse. _Although that's not gonna happen… only Natsu has ever managed to beat_ my _White Dragon Claw_ I thought cockily. Natsu came over to me and patted me on the shoulder.

"Nice one Sting" he congratulated me. Medea then made her move. With a puff of smoke and a quick Transformation she donned the same shape as she had earlier, a great black serpent, which coiled around the red-head with ease, holding him tight.

"I've got him" she crowed in a victorious-yet-wicked tone, her forked tounge flickering in and out of her mouth like any other snake. Natsu and I looked over to Edric as he and Haruki finished off the last stragglers within the mob.

"And this'll do it… Multiple Knock-Out Shots" Haruki smiled, numerous magical bullets raining down out of his fingertips, each striking a mob-member and sending them crashing down to the ground, unconscious.

"You always like to finish last, eh… Haru" Edric grinned as he put his hands behind his head and looked over in our direction.

Haruki shrugged. "And you always like to finish first, Edric… er… sir" he smirked before glancing up to where Kenji was still concealed.

Edric laughed. "You can drop the sir. Now… what do we have here" he said, as he made his way over multiple unconscious people to where Medea had the red-head held tight. The captive grinned.

"Seems you've got me caught" he mused, "So what are you gonna do to me now? Torture? Kill? I won't give in to threats or bribery" he said. Edric came up close to the man, his eyes neatly narrowed, as if he was observing something.

After a moment he turned to Thomas, who still leaned against the wall. "Thomas, is this guy the real deal?" he asked. Thomas frowned.

"Yes. According to my Archive he is" the boy replied. Edric gritted his teeth.

"Tch" he cursed, "You're more skilled than I gave you credit for" he stated, before taking out a playing card and activating his magic, the card being replaced by a sword. After a moment Edric threw the blade directly at our hard-fought captive. The blade immediately phased through him.

Medea screeched. "Edric… what the-" she began, before she heard the blade clatter on the other side of the man she was supposed to be holding tight, "He's… not real?" she said in a surprised tone of voice. The man turned his head in her direction, grinning wildly.

"Seems not, my dear" he said, before he suddenly vanished.

Medea immediately used her Transformation power to return to her original body. "Where is he?" she asked Edric in a commanding tone of voice. Edric shrugged.

"That was a Thought Projection. I could only sense it when he was close, however with that level of power in that projection, he must be near" Edric stated. Thomas came over immediately, having seen his tracking fail he was clearly angry.

"How did he trick my Archive?" he demanded in a sharp tone. Edric once more shrugged.

"I don't know, however for now we're going to have to search for him, or work out some way of tracking him. You still got his magic signature at least, right?" Edric asked. Thomas nodded.

"Yes, although it will take some time to find him" the other boy stated. Edric nodded.

"Well then, we're going to have to go an start looking nearby" Edric declared.

"I don't think that'll be necessary" a voice called out. We all stopped and looked up to the roof of a nearby building; the red-head was perched atop it. He grinned and waved at us all. "I'm sorry to have to crash your party, however this was fun. I hope we get to do it together some time" he said. Edric muttered something.

The red-head laughed. "Oh, what was that little man, I didn't quite catch it" he mused, before he looked over towards Kenji's position, "Also… there's no point continuing to hide there, old geezer. I was able to sense you this whole time" the red head added.

At this Kenji stood up. "I see my former pupil has honed his skills at detection" the old sword master stated. The red-head scowled at this statement, breaking the grin, he had maintained up to this point.

"It doesn't take much detection skill, anyone could catch the scent of a traitor such as yourself" the red-head stated in a more venomous tone to the playful one he had been using to taunt Edric. _Why does he hate Kenji? And… did he say pupil?!_ My mind instantly became full of questions; however, I did not have time to asked them right this moment.

"That's quite funny coming from such a wayward boy as yourself. How are those false masters you and your misguided allies follow?" Kenji retorted to the red-heads previous statement. The red-head pouted.

"They are all doing just well" he frowned, "However, it's not like I really expect you to care for us, not after what you did" he added with a angrier tone.

Kenji remained motionless. "What I did?" he mumbled lowly, so low that I doubt anyone but me and Natsu would have heard.

The red-head laughed at Kenji's sudden silence. "Well that seems to have silenced you. Maybe I should leave you to dwell on this, after all I'm already late for another appointment" the red-headed man stood up on the rooftop. "I guess I'll see you again soon. Maybe then we can _actually_ have a fight… not that I didn't enjoy this one, Dragon Slayers" he stated, giving us a bow. Edric went wide eyed at this man's actions.

"Wait! Somebody stop him!" he barked. Thomas already had his Archive ready, however he shook his head.

"Edric, he's already left, I think he did a few minutes ago since his Magic Signature is very faint. That's just another left over illusion" Thomas stated.

Edric looked to his brother for a moment, before cursing under his breath. With an angry stare, he drew another playing card, and this time summoned up a spear, which he hurled up towards the red-head. The spear passed harmlessly through this second illusion, much as the sword had through the first, then after a final grin, the red-head vanished into the night.

"Fuck!" Edric cursed aloud after our target had gone.

I looked to Natsu; the pinkette was as silent as the grave. After a moment, he looked to me and shook his head. "We failed" he said to me. I nodded.

"Yeah" I agreed, "We did."

/

I flopped down onto the sofa in my hotel room with a heavy sigh. Natsu closed the door behind me, before flipping the lock and placing the key on the coffee table before me. The pinkette had remained strangely quiet since the flight of the red-headed man, and it was beginning to unnerve me. _I woulda thought that by now he'd at least have said_ something _about it… even if it was just some random swear word, or something_ …

I looked at Natsu with slightly analytical eyes. The pinkette's gaze shifted to me as he sat on the sofa next to me. "Something wrong Sting? You look like something's on your mind" Natsu asked me with a lower tone than what he usually used.

I pouted at him for a moment, before shaking my head. "No, nothing's wrong… it's just you've been really quiet since we left. I know Edric said he'd deal with all the mess, and all those people who got cursed, so you can't be worrying about that, so…" I trailed off, unsure of where to continue with my rambling.

Natsu smiled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, I was just… thinking" he said. I chuckled slightly.

"Alright… that's… unusual for you" I smirked, earning a narrowed gaze from the pinkette.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ empty headed" he argued momentarily. I continued laughing, before settling down and moving closer to him so that I could rest my head on his shoulder. _His body's always so warm…_ I thought as I felt the heat radiate off of the Fire Dragon Slayer. It had been a long night, and now I could feel the fatigue from both the dancing at the bar, and the fight in the streets clinging to my muscles.

"So… what were you thinking about then" I asked Natsu, as I accepted the arm he hung loosely around my shoulders.

"Well… after the fight, I realised… could you smell something on that guy?" he asked me. I pouted for a moment, before once more shaking my head lightly.

"No. It was weird how his thought projection could manage to trick our noses like that though, especially _yours_ " I stated. Natsu smiled slightly at the momentary compliment I offered him, before he continued explaining his line of reasoning.

"Alright, so you didn't smell anything, but I did. Not on the thought projection, it was right after he drew his sword against that guy in the alley who was knocked out" I looked up at Natsu as he talked.

"What did you smell?" I asked him. He shrugged a little, being careful not to knock my head.

"I don't know, but it smelled the same as Kenji and that black-haired guy from back at Hargeon. Do you think it's connected?" he looked to me sincerely as he asked this. I pouted for a moment before I smiled.

"Well, before that guy ran, he did mention something to Kenji, and then Kenji said something about him being his pupil. Maybe the black-haired guy was also a pupil and they use similar magic or something?" I reasoned. Natsu once more shrugged lightly.

"Maybe. Do you think we should ask them about this?" he said. I nodded and gave an adamant look at this.

"Yes. They may be some secretive family; however, I am _definitely_ gonna be going to Makarov tomorrow to discuss this. We need to have some answers, we can't have them continuing to involve Fairy Tail and Sabertooth in their stuff if its gonna come with risks like what we faced" I stated. Natsu laughed at my declaration, and I sent him a quizzical look. "What's so funny, I thought you'd be all 'fired up' to protect the guild?" I asked him after a moment.

Natsu smiled brightly at me. "I am, it's just… you sounded so much like a real guild master there" he stated. I was taken aback by the pinkette's amusement.

"I _am_ a real guild master!" I barked sharply, before sitting up. The Fire Dragon looked to me with continued amusement.

"I know you are" he said, before holding out his arm, "And your also my boyfriend… so you know that I'm only teasing you, right?" he added. I smiled.

"Yeah, I know. I was just surprised by that little _teasing_ statement, that's all" I stated, before leaning back into Natsu; I enjoyed the Fire Dragon Slayer's warmth too much to stay sitting up.

Natsu chuckled as he held me tighter, and closer to his chest. Silenced then rested over us for a moment, as we each just enjoyed the other's company for a quiet minute.

The silence was broken by a chuckle from Natsu. I looked up to him, questioning what he was giggling about without even having to say a word. "Hey Sting" Natsu began, "I've just had another thought"

"Wow, two thoughts in one day, good for you Natsu" I replied with a little dry sarcasm in my voice. Natsu sighed.

"Just listen" he said, earning my attention. With a bright grin, the pinkette leaned his head down to my ear to whisper. "I want to make good on our deal" he muttered in a low tone. _Deal?_ I thought for a moment, before a memory faded into my consciousness. _Oh right, the dance off…_

"Do we have to do that now, I'm really tired?" I asked him. It was already late, something like two in the morning from the brief glance I had at the clock on my way in, and I knew that tomorrow Natsu and I would have to get back to work. Natsu looked at me intently.

"You agreed that we'd do this after the job" he stated. I sighed.

"But after he job could mean tomorrow you know" I replied, although clearly Natsu was having none of it. The pinkette shook his head obstinately.

"Come on, it's not that late yet, we can do this then sleep" he said, trying once more to reason with me. I looked into the Fire Dragon's eyes for a moment, to see the fire within flare up in defiance. _He's not gonna give up, is he?_ I thought tiredly.

With a defeated sigh, I nodded my head. "Alright, you've convinced me, but instead of doing everything tonight" I stated to him, "How about we do _something_ tonight, and then tomorrow… we can continue?" I looked to Natsu with pleading eyes. The pinkette smirked wickedly. _This should shut him up_ I thought.

"Alright, but since you're _so tired_ , why don't I help you out a little, then tomorrow… tomorrow we fuck properly" he asked. I looked to him suspiciously.

"By 'help me out' do you mean…?" I trailed off, trying to entice Natsu to reveal whatever plan he had concocted to me, not that I didn't have some idea of what he might be planning. The pinkette however just kept grinning.

"Come on Sting, let's go to the bedroom" he said, before standing up and holding out his hand for me to take. Still looking on suspiciously I accepted the invitation, and with that we entered my bedroom.

/

Natsu wasted no time, he was on me the second he saw the bed, mouth hungrily attacking my own, hands pawing at my clothes. I let him do what he wanted, after all I _had_ agreed to this, even if right now all I wanted was to curl up beside him and sleep.

"Sting… get on the bed" Natsu said as he broke off his kiss. I complied with his request and immediately crawled onto the bed, laying down and looking back at Natsu with a gaze of want. The pinkette looked over my clothed body with hungry, predatory eyes. _Fuck… that's too hot…_ I thought, _Guess I wanted this more than I thought…_

"So, what do you want to do with me Natsu, since we're playing this game" I asked him. Natsu grinned and clambered onto the bed, face no more than a few millimetres away from mine. His hot breath fell onto my cheeks as his eyes lit up with a bright flame.

"You'll see" he replied in a teasing voice. I couldn't help but shiver a little in pleasure, as the pinkette's hand slid along my leg and fondled the thigh. Natsu could feel my shiver, and smirked all the more, before hungrily capturing my mouth with his own, tongue pressing for entrance almost immediately. I allowed him to enter, since I was feeling more submissive than usual in my slightly fatigued state. Natsu chuckled slightly into the kiss, before withdrawing. "You're unusually submissive" he mused. I smiled.

"Maybe I'm just waiting to see whatever it is you've got planned, pinkie" I retorted, which made Natsu grin wickedly.

"Is that really what you're doing?" he muttered wistfully, as his hand moved up from my thigh to the edge of my shirt, quickly making its way up to my abs. I tensed slightly as I felt his fingertips slide over my bare body; his hand was _hot_ , hotter than usual anyways. Natsu's eyes freely moved over my clothed body as he fondled me, however his gaze eventually met back up with mine. "Like that?" he asked me. I looked at him with a confused expression.

"What're you doing Natsu?" I asked him. The Fire Dragon Slayer smirked.

"I'm sending _just_ enough magic to make my hands heat up" he said, before leaning in until he was almost kissing me. "Just imagine what it'll feel like when this hand goes _other_ places" he added, before finally kissing me once more, not allowing me to respond. Unfortunately, my mind did exactly what he wanted and did begin to imagine; my cock did too, as I got _a lot_ harder from that one idea.

I knew that Natsu had noticed my hard-on immediately, as the corners of his mouth upturned, however he continued kissing me. Then, with one instant motion he ripped a moan from me. "Agh… N-atsu" I moaned into the kiss as he ground down on my member. Natsu continued smirking. _Cocky bastard_ I thought to myself, before another grinding motion had me thinking of other things.

After a few minutes more, Natsu withdrew from the kiss, sitting up. "Like that Sting?" he laughed. I was about to try to come up with some cocky retort of my own, however another sight stopped me for a moment.

With a grin, I met Natsu's gaze. "I'm not the only one who liked that" I said to him. Natsu laughed a little at that.

"Well how could I _not_ like doing that, especially when you make such sexy noises" he stated, before he moved and began reaching down to his own shirt, fingers quickly fiddling and undoing all the buttons to expose his chest to me. I took in the sight greedily, before Natsu, with a led smirk, removed the piece of clothing entirely. I smiled back at him, equally as lewdly, before I reached out and began fondling his body in much the same way he had done to me.

Natsu laughed, before he brought up his hands to grab my arms, sliding his fingers along their length to my shoulders, before shoving me back down onto the bed. "If you want to touch more, you gotta strip too, Sting" he said to me. I grinned brightly.

"Why don'tcha help me then?" I retorted, which earned a flicker of amusement across the Fire Dragon's face. Natsu leaned in immediately, before moving to kiss me once more. Unlike his previous kisses though, this one was only fleeting; instead of heatedly attacking my mouth, he instead opted to kiss a trail down my jaw and neck, his fingers moving in tandem to his mouth, opening each button on my shirt as his mouth kissed the newly exposed skin. Natsu kissed a trail all the way from my mouth to the very rim of my trousers, before finally looking up and smiling. I smiled back, before I ruffled a hand through his hair, sending the pink locks into an even more haphazard state than they were already in. Natsu purred slightly at the gesture, before moving back up my body, one hand supporting his weight as the other fondled my abdomen once more. His palms and fingers were still heated; however, this was not a bad thing as once I got over the initial surprise I realised just how good it felt. "Mmm…" I murmured into our sloppy kiss.

"Sting…" Natsu mumbled in response. After a few short minutes of kisses, we stopped, our members and insides each burning with desire. We each knew that we had long since reached our threshold; we needed _more_. Now. "Sting, I want to… I need to see you naked" Natsu said with a tone full of desire. I nodded in understanding.

"It's alright, let's just skip the rest of the strip-tease and get naked" I stated. Natsu smiled, before he kneeled up. With one quick movement, he loosened his belt and slid his trousers completely off of his body, throwing them aside in favour of reaching down to help me with my own trousers. With both of us _nearly_ naked, only one piece of clothing separated our members. Natsu looked me up and down, before leaning back over me, mouth moving up to my ear. "Don't hold back on those moans" he whispered. I frowned for a moment, about to question him on what he meant, however a sudden explosion of delicious friction on my member made me realise his plan.

"F-fuck" I exclaimed in pleasure as Natsu ground down on my hard-on. Although he had done it before, this time it felt _so_ much better without anything but our underwear separating our members. "Is t-this your plan?" I gasped as he continued to gyrate. Natsu chuckled.

"No. This is just… for fun" he giggled. With one hand Natsu ghosted his fingertips over my naked body, before finally reaching the hem of my boxers. I could see where this was going, however I felt powerless to stop it. With one finally grin, the pinkette moved his heated hand into the confines of the clothe, before taking a firm grasp of my member. "Agh… so… hot" I gasped in pleasure as the heat that pulsed through Natsu's hand completely enveloped my cock. The Fire Dragon Slayer laughed triumphantly. "That's it Sting, let me hear more of those sexy noises" he said, as he continued grinding, only this time with his hand moving up and down my member too.

"N-natsu… I… too fucking… good" I moaned. Quickly I felt myself losing any semblance of control I had, the heat and friction melding together to form the most perfect blend of pleasure I had experienced. It wasn't long before I could feel myself reaching orgasm.

Natsu felt the twitching in my member too, and quickly stopped his assault, much to my annoyance. Looking to him in confusion, the pinkette shook his head. "Not yet Sting, there's still _one_ more thing I wanna do to you tonight" he stated. I furrowed my brows quickly, my sex-addled mind no longer able to think straight. Natsu saw this and once more leaned into my ear. " _I want to taste you, like you tasted me_ " he whispered lustfully. I shivered in pleasure at the promise in Natsu's words.

"Do it" I said, "Just… don't take more than you can handle" I added with a faint smirk. Natsu smirked back at me.

"What? Think I can't handle your dick?" he scoffed. I chuckled.

"Well… it is bigger than yours" I replied. Natsu almost seemed offended by this.

"Oh, that's it. I'm all fired up now" he declared, before leaning down on me to capture my lips in a final heated kiss. I was feeling a little rebellious after Natsu's outburst, and decided to put up a little more of a fight than I had previously, however all this earned was an even more forceful attempt to take dominance from the pinkette. _Wow, he's really not messing around… that's so fucking hot_ I thought, as I gripped the pinkette tight. After a few moments, he broke off with the kiss, his smile giving away his preparedness for what came next.

With a few kisses, Natsu's slid down my body until his head was level with my member. He eyed the length for a moment, before looking back up at me. I could see the passionate flames dance in his eyes, however there were also flames of love there too. With that last look, Natsu once more eyed up my member, before experimentally bringing his tongue down to lick a stripe from base to tip. I moaned slightly in encouragement. This had a profound effect on Natsu as he repeated the action several times, each time he lingered around the head of my cock, his tounge playing with the slit. After a final attempt, Natsu then decided to move on to the main even.

"So… hot…" I moaned out as Natsu engulfed my head in his fire-eating mouth, "Your mouth is so hot… Na-tsu" I gasped. Natsu laughed, before removing the member out of his mouth for a moment to speak.

"I do eat fire, y'know" he laughed. I nodded.

"Y-yeah I know, c-an you…" I really didn't want to have to say it. _If I do, he'll never let me be dominant again_ I thought. Luckily, Natsu did not make me say it, instead he readily engulfed the tip of my member in his mouth once more. With each passing second Natsu progressively became more and more of an expert in the art of blowing. Soon I was nothing more than a moaning, gasping shell of my former self, as the pinkette drove me to instantly with his actions.

First Natsu began experimentally flicking the slit with his tongue. Then he began to try to get some of the length into his mouth, each time earning moans from me as that intense heat engulfed my entire body in pleasure. "Fuck…" I moaned out, as the pinkette got himself into a steady rhythm, up and down. He took in more and more with each bob of the head until he reached the base, each time he retracted I felt his tongue slide once more over my slit, precum surely encouraging him to continue in this manner. I ran a hand through his hair; I wasn't going to last long under this assault, not after the last thing he tried. Soon I reached my limit. "F-fuck… Natsu…" I panted.

The pinkette looked up at me, it was only then that I realised he was touching himself. From the glimmer in his eyes I could tell he was as close as me. I nodded at him slightly, understanding being shared between us without a single word being uttered. With our understanding reached, the Fire Dragon Slayer increase his pace, more forcefully flicking and using his tounge over my length. I intensified my grip on the bobbing head, holding onto that perfect pink hair. It was then that I was finally pushed beyond my limit. "Fuck… coming Natsu. I'm coming" I warned him. The pinkette moaned, as streams of hot white cum filled his mouth. I moaned alongside him as waves of orgasmic pleasure overtook my body, all thoughts being completely pushed from my mind by the sensations I was experiencing.

Natsu came too, over the sheets. Normally I would've cared if we made a mess, however I couldn't bring myself to care about anything right now, other than the feeling I had; pleasure in its purest form. We rode out our respective orgasm until they finished completely. Natsu swallowed as much of my semen as he could, however by the time he had finally removed the now softening member from his mouth, he had a good deal sliding down his face from the corners of his mouth to his chin. I let him crawl up, his body flopping down beside me as the fatigue of the activity, coupled with the fatigue of our failed mission, making us both feel incredibly tired. "Sting… did you like that?" he asked me, his voice edged with tiredness and the promise of sleep. I smiled, before reaching over to his cheek, and making him look at me. I kissed him sweetly, before nodding.

"Yeah I did… although… we've made a mess everywhere. You've also got something on your chin" I laughed before I scooped up some of the cum with my finger, licking it off the digit.

Natsu watched me for a second, his face blushing in embarrassment. I chuckled, and brought him in for another kiss, this one long and sloppy, before I kissed along his chin, licking up all the cum I could. "Sorry" he mumbled. I shook my head.

"No. That was amazing" I stated to him, before I took a hold of the ruined bed sheets and used them to cover our naked forms. Natsu purred contently as I wrapped him in my arms.

"I told ya I'd be able to take your whole cock" he muttered sleepily. I nodded, before I closed my eyes.

"I know you did. You are amazing after all" I stated. The pinkette laughed, however soon his breathing deepened, and I realised he was asleep. "Typical… good night Natsu" I said, before falling into my own dreams myself.

I knew that tomorrow I would need my game-face on, especially if I was to deal with the Zollzero's, however right now I was just happy I got to see that dominant side of Natsu.

 _After all… it was pretty hot_ I thought, as my head became filled with thoughts of the Fire Dragon Slayer, and my dreams became ones of warmth and love.

 **End of Chapter 18**

 **Chapter Hint; Master and Pupil**

 **Author's** **note; It's sad that Fairy Tail ended, but I'm still gonna continue this story to its end. After that I may consider a different fandom to start writing about. If anyone has any suggestions they can PM or just leave a review on one of my works saying which fandom I should consider. I've seen quite a lot of anime and manga so there's a good chance I'll have at least seen parts of most. Anyways, that is all, and also I'm so happy this story has been well-received and has gotten so many views already. Thanks :p**


	19. Chapter 19 - Master and Pupil

**Chapter 19 – Master and Pupil**

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I awoke to an odd sensation of warmth beside me. Opening my eyes, hesitantly at first since both of us had forgotten to close the curtains last night and light was now streaming into the room, I saw Sting bathed in radiant glow. "Good morning" he grinned at me, face so close it was practically touching me. His hot breath came in slow puffs of heat that fell upon my cheeks.

I smiled back at him. "Good morning, Sting" I replied, "What time is it?".

The White Dragon Slayer shrugged, before turning around and looking at the clock on the wall behind him. "It's 6:30AM" he read, before turning back to me. "I think we both ended up waking early because of the light" he mused, before jabbing a thumb towards the window that was also behind him. I chuckled.

"Well… we _were_ both tired when we went to sleep last night" I said, before multiple memories of our late-night activity sprang to my mind, "Oh… and sorry about that, I got a little carried away, even though you were so tired I still tried to do things" I apologised after a quick blush pushed its way onto my face. Sting laughed at my display of 'cuteness', before he shrugged.

"It's okay, it's not like I _didn't_ enjoy it. Even if I wanted to go to sleep, I did agree to do whatever you wanted" he stated. I smiled happily, before moving to lay closer to him, his naked body alongside my own.

"Speaking of that, I really loved doing that to you. The noises you made were so cute and sexy" I chuckled. Sting almost blushed himself, before he smirked lewdly.

"Yeah, you know I'm gonna get you back for all that. I never thought you'd come up with such a dirty way to use your magic" he replied. I laughed a little, before wrapping an arm around his shoulders, my fingertips lightly caressing the point between his shoulder blades.

"You liked it though" I smirked. Sting pouted mockingly for a second, before giving up, the smile on his lips a far more natural look for him.

"I loved it" he admitted. _Loved… that reminds me…_

"Hey Sting," I began again, as a quiet lull began to spread over the still somewhat-sleepy room. The White Dragon Slayer looked directly at me, his eyes clearly showing his tiredness, but also a slight glimmer of light that always entranced me. "What is it Natsu?" he asked in an inquisitive form of vocie.

I frowned for a moment, as I tried to put into words what I wanted to tell him. "Well… what do you… feel for me?" I asked him, somewhat unsurely. Sting seemed a little confused about what I was asking him, however I could not find another way to explain, so I patiently waited to see what he would ask or respond with.

"Well" he said after a short bit of thinking time, "I like you, I know that much. I mean, I know we've only been like _this_ for about five days, if you don't include the days before we went out on our first date… but…" Sting trailed off, looking to me to see if any of that answered my question. "Why, what are you thinking?" he asked me after a few minutes of slightly awkward silence. I pouted in thought for a moment. _Should I tell him?_ I said to myself, _I mean… if he feels this way too then it'd be okay… but… what if only I feel it? That'd make it weird, and I don't want to lose Sting yet so…_

I shrugged. "I just wanted to know" I stated, in half-truth, before I sent a smile at Sting, "I like you too…" I added after a moment.

Sting looked to me suspiciously for a moment, before finally allowing his expression to relax. "I guess that's… good, then" he said, still obviously unsure about both my reasons for asking such a random question, and the thoughts currently going on in my head. After a short silence, Sting began speaking once more. "You looked really hot last night. I like it when you take a dominant role a little" he stated. I looked to him, and smiled.

"Do you want me to be more dominant the next time we do it?" I asked him. Sting smirked.

"The next time we fuck, you'll have to do what _I_ want, like we agreed. So, you'll just have to wait and see" the White Dragon chuckled, with a slight darkness to his voice that made me want to make our 'next time' occur in the next few minutes, just to see what lewd things Sting would do.

"Does that mean that-" I began to speak, however Sting silenced me with a short kiss.

"No. We're not gonna do it this morning, it's too early for sex" he said firmly. I pouted.

"But I wanna know what you're gonna make me do" I whined. Sting smiled.

"Like I said, you're gonna have to wait and see" he stated, "We can't do it right now anyways, because there's something I'm gonna need to buy" he added with a faint smile. This had me guessing instantly as to what Sting needed; a number of quite dirty things came to my mind, some of which even I would be ashamed to admit. I could tell the blond was doing this deliberately, to try to make me guess and beg him to tell me, however I refused to give in to temptation. Instead of pleading for him to tell me, I used the hand I had on back to slowly rub circles down his spine, getting lower and lower. Sting smirked at me as he saw me do this. "Still not telling…" he chirped in a sing-song voice, before putting on a lewd grin. "Although… if you're _that_ desperate, I could always return the favour for last night and suck you off. That wouldn't count as my side of the bet though" he chuckled.

I thought about this offer for a moment, then put on a smile. "I'll agree to that, only if you let me suck you off again as well" I stated with a darker tone to my voice. The blond smiled.

"I guess we could" he began, before a noise interrupted us. It would've been almost unheard by most people, but unfortunately for the both of us, we were Dragon Slayers; a faint but firm knock. "That was the door" Sting voiced. I nodded with a mildly annoyed expression.

"Hmph… ruining my fun" I complained, before shrugging, "I can't smell who it is from here because of the… leftover smells from last night" I added with a more matter-of-fact voice. Sting looked panicked, glancing around for a moment, before looking back to me.

"I'm gonna have to answer it. You stay hidden, we don't want people to know about us yet" he stated. I nodded in understanding.

"I'll stay in here, unless you tell me to come out or I think you're in danger. It could be a trap by one of those people that attacked us" I said. Sting nodded.

"Alright. Put your underwear at least though, I don't want you charging out naked to fight some guy" he instructed me, a faint flicker of amusement passing over his features at mentioning this.

I almost laughed, before catching myself just in time; after all, if another Dragon Slayer was at the door, it was likely that they'd hear us. "You know I'd fight naked for ya if I had to" I grinned. Sting chuckled.

"I would for you too, although… hmm… maybe we could… the next time we train…" Sting gave a dirty expression. I sighed.

"Sting, the door" I reminded him. The blond snapped out of his inappropriate thoughts and nodded.

"Right" he said, before heading out, in nothing but his underwear. I closed the door behind him, leaving it slightly ajar, enough that I could sneakily observe from the bedroom, just in case my support was needed.

/

 **Sting's Apartment, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I exited the bedroom swiftly. Behind me I could feel a sudden draft as Natsu closed the door, leaving it only slightly ajar, I noticed, so that he could watch what happened. _I just hope he doesn't end up jumping out because he hears something that he doesn't like. He gets angry really easy…_ I thought hopefully as I made my way over to the door. I tried to use my sense of smell to determine the visitor before I opened the wooden door, however all I could get was a faint, vaguely familiar, scent, which was overpowered by the lingering smell of sex that still pervaded the room. _If this is Gajeel or Wendy, I think the game'll be up, there's no way they wouldn't be able to smell Natsu's presence here_ I added mentally to my list of worries.

After a brief pause to collect my thoughts I unlocked the door and opened it. "Who is it at this time of the morning?" I asked as I flung the piece of wood wide. "Oh… it's you Edric" I commented as I at once locked eyes with the grinning blond teenager.

"Well good morning to you too, Sting" Edric greeted me, with a pleasant, amicable smile. "May I come in? I would like to speak with you" he added after a moment. I pouted, before looking down at myself, realising I was only in my underwear I felt slightly embarrassed, although only for a moment.

Looking at Edric I moved aside to allow him entrance. _Better talk with him in here, rather than be standing at the door naked_ I thought as I did this. Edric thanked me as he moved swiftly into my hotel room. His deep green eyes glanced amusingly across the room, before he picked out the sofa and began sitting down on it. "So, what are you doing here, Edric? It's pretty early you know" I asked him as I stood; I didn't feel comfortable sitting next to him on the relatively _small_ sofa in my current attire (or lack thereof).

Edric smiled at me for a moment. "You're certainly jumpy. From your clothes… do you have company?" he smirked wickedly, his teenage features giving way to a slight perviness that I did not expect. I folded my arms over my chest.

"No. And I'm not 'jumpy'… is it not normal to ask a person why they are here at this time of the morning?" I replied to him, giving a little pout. Edric laughed.

"Oh, come on Sting… you know you don't have to hide back there _Natsu_. Why don't you put some clothes on and join us, after all I do need to speak to both of you anyways" Edric called out in a louder voice.

"Why are you calling out for Natsu?" I asked him suddenly, a little part of my chest fluttering as he gave away the presence of my supposedly _secret_ boyfriend in the next room. Edric laughed at me, before laying back in the seat. His green eyes met my blue and for a moment there was a stand-off, before eventually I sighed in defeat. "Natsu you can come out, I guess he already know about us" I barked, causing the pinkette to appear in the bedroom doorway instantly, clad in only his underwear like I was.

Edric chuckled. "Well I suppose that is one way to _come out_ " he mused. I narrowed my eyes at him for a moment as Natsu came to stand beside me. I noticed that the pinkette hovered exceptionally close, although he seemed to refrain from touching me.

"How did y'know I was here?" the Fire Dragon Slayer asked Edric, his tone somewhat defensive.

Edric continued grinning, clearly enjoying this whole scenario. "Do you really want to know the answer to that?" he asked in reply, before breaking out into an even wider leer, "Or are you two _lovebirds_ just worried about how many people know about your relationship?" he continued.

I looked to Natsu for a moment, before sighing and dragging him over to sit with me on the chair beside the sofa. Whilst I sat on the chair itself, he leaned on its armrest, his hand reaching out to interlock fingers with me. "Alright, you caught us. Me and Natsu are together, and we've been worrying about getting caught because it could end up effecting our guild's reputation. It could be particularly bad for Sabertooth, what with me being their master" I explained to Edric in brief. The blond nodded, allowing his smile to recede away from his features slightly.

"Yeah, I can understand that" he stated with a nod, before his smile grew a little once again, "however, I wouldn't worry about this getting onto Sorcerer Weekly or anything, after all the only reason I was one-hundred-percent sure that Natsu was here was because I talked to Happy just a little earlier this morning, saying how Natsu had not come home last night" he grinned. I relaxed slightly at hearing this, and looked to Natsu. Like me I could see a faint blush raising to his cheeks as we both then realised that Edric knew _exactly_ what we had been up to after we left him and the others at the bar. Or at least he had a pretty good idea. The blond teen looked at our faces for a moment, before laughing a little darkly. "He he… looks like I _wasn't_ wrong about last night. Haruki owes me a breakfast" he giggled. I looked to him with wide eyes.

"Haruki knows too?" I asked him. Edric smiled.

"Well… I don't know how the whole guild _doesn't_ notice you two, but somehow I haven't heard anyone suspecting you too much. Me, Medea, Haruki and Kenji all noticed… actually, just to settle another bet; did you get together _before_ or _after_ that beach job I suggested you go on?" Edric looked to us with amusement. Once more I glanced to Natsu, however this time the pinkette grinned.

"It was on the job that we…" he began answering, before he trailed off without finishing his sentence, as he was interrupted by Edric sighing. The blond teen then shrugged at this response.

"Huh, I thought it was after. Guess Haruki was right about that one then" Edric muttered, before he shook his head. "Anyways, I guess we should get down to business, not that I don't love hearing about your relationship" Edric stated after a moment, his tone and face each becoming more serious as he said this. Natsu and I both nodded at him; we were just glad to move the topic of conversation off of us, and onto something a little more appropriate.

"Alright, I'm guessing this is the real reason you came to see me… er… us" I corrected. Edric's face flickered into a smirk for a moment, before returning to seriousness.

"Yes" he confirmed, "I came here this early in order to quickly go over everything about last night, as well as tell you that I've already contacted Makarov, and we'll be holding a meeting in the guildhall about this a little later. Rogue's here too, it was just by chance that he came needing to speak with you Sting, but it could be useful to keep him in the loop too" Edric continued, before looking to me directly. I nodded in understanding.

"If you didn't tell Rogue, I probably would have. At least this way he will be on exactly the same page as me. A meeting is also good too, I have a couple questions I wanna ask you and your people" I stated. Edric smiled.

"I thought you might say that" he replied, before he sat forwards in his seat, looking at us a little more intently. "Anyways, as for what happened last night" he continued "After you two left, I rounded up all the people that were under that guy's spell and Thomas used his skills to subvert their consciousness for information. Turns out one or two of them have been like that for a few days, which makes me think he's been here a little while preparing for some sort of attack or plan" he explained, before taking a moment to allow this to sink in. After a couple minutes thought, I nodded.

"So… you think he might have something else up his sleeve too? That he'll try again?" I asked Edric. The blond teen shook his head.

"No. After being caught, it's unlikely he'll want to try anything again. For him and his little team, if one of their members gets caught by us, it'll be game over, because we'll be able to get all the information on them, their hideouts, escape plans and whatever else. That means it's more likely, if anything, that another member of their group may try something in their stead" Edric answered. Once more I nodded.

"Alright" I said. Natsu looked between us for a moment, before speaking.

"So, Fairy Tail isn't in any danger anymore?" he asked Edric in a slightly confused tone. The teen shrugged.

"I wouldn't say it was in danger to begin with. At most they'd have attempted to threaten you, but from the welcome _we_ got when we arrived, I doubt they'd pose much more than a nuisance to your guild, since I'm sure you'd stomp on anyone stupid enough to threaten you without the proper powers. Which is why you attempted to stand up to us, until Arthur and the others proved to be a big enough threat to make you listen" Edric stated in a rational tone of voice. Natsu seemed pacified by this, but not completely satisfied; a sentiment I could understand, since if Sabertooth was under _any_ kind of threat I would have been determined to prevent it too, not just as their master, but also as a proud Sabertooth wizard.

"Damn right we would" Natsu chirped up confidently. Edric laughed.

"Proving my point. There is just one more thing though…" he stated, trailing off and giving an uncharacteristic show of uncertainty. I frowned at him.

"What is it?" I asked. Edric looked to me directly.

"We think that perhaps they may attempt something similar to this at Sabertooth" he said bluntly. I took a moment to register this, before nodding.

"I thought that might happen" I confirmed, seemingly surprising the teen with my show of level-headedness.

Edric continued. "I see… then you may have also figured out that we think it may be best for you to return to Sabertooth, you see… Arthur will be heading there to deal with this issue and rather than having to involve even more people with this issue, we believe it may be better to continue using you and Natsu" the blond explained. I nodded at this, however I could feel Natsu's eyes on me. As I looked over to the pinkette I caught the glance he sent my way. Edric seemed to notice too, as he went strangely tense.

Surprisingly though, Natsu's eyes showed understanding and care, rather than the protectiveness I had expected. "You should go" he said. I looked to him intently.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" I questioned him, double checking.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, it's your guild, right?" he said, "You should be there to protect it, and your friends too" he added with a vaguely sympathetic smile.

Edric seemed as surprised by the pinkette's sudden behaviour as me, as I saw his smile drop for the first time this conversation. He began smiling again though, as he cleared his throat. "As adorable as this is" he interjected, earning both Natsu and my attention once more, "You've miss-understood something. Sting and _you_ , Natsu, will need to go. Like I said we want to use _both_ of you to help deal with these people" Edric stated with a smirk. Natsu's eyes brightened at hearing this information.

"Really? So, I get to go to Sabertooth?" he asked with slight excitement now in his voice, a stark contrast to his more serious expression from only seconds ago. Edric nodded.

"Yes. It'll take both of you and Arthur to attempt to stop these people. Artie's clever, and a capable fighter, but I doubt he'd be completely fine against these people if they've managed to weave a decent enough trap. Like with Medea, Thomas and Me, you two will act as extra muscle, if that is okay?" Edric explained. Both Natsu and I smiled at this, nodding.

"Yeah it is" I said.

Edric nodded. "Anyways, that's all I need to say for now, if you have any more questions, it may be better to wait until the meeting, since Medea and Thomas have more information than me. I was too busy having to explain this all to Arthur last night, as well as clean up the mess, to have any luxuries like sleep… or _that_ " he winked at us, before getting up. I smirked.

"So that's why you're still in that waistcoat from yesterday" I commented amusedly "I wasn't sure if it was because you were also having… _fun…_ last night" I added as I chuckled. Edric shook his head.

"I wish" he replied, before motioning to leave. I got up to follow him to the door, however he patted me on the shoulder to make me stay. "Don't worry, I can see myself out. You two continue doing whatever it was you were doing before I rudely interrupted you. Although, I doubt that anything I've done is as rude as the stuff you're doing to each other" he said with a smirk. I pouted at him.

"Maybe we weren't doing anything, maybe you just woke us up early?" I stated. He laughed.

"If that was true then why were you two whispering before I arrived. My hearing's pretty good, so I could hear it from the door… not that I could hear any juicy details" Edric smiled cockily. I was dumbfounded for a moment that a non-Dragon Slayer could hear that distance with ease, however I recovered just as Edric was about to leave. "Oh, Edric" I caught his attention as he opened the door, "Please keep this secret, we're obviously trying to keep quiet about this until we figure some stuff out" I asked him. Edric nodded politely.

"Of course, I will, this will just stay between me, Medea, Haruki and Kenji… and Thomas, if he ever notices" Edric mused, before shrugging, "After all… relationships are a private thing, right?" he added with vague amusement, using the exact same words we too had used when he admitted to us about him and Haruki. I nodded.

"Right" I replied. Edric then began moving to leave once more. With one last smile, he began closing the door, catching it at the last minute to say one final thing.

"I almost forgot, the meeting's at 11AM. Try to be there on time" he stated, before closing the door. Once he was gone Natsu stood up behind me, his arms speedily snaking themselves around my naked torso.

"You heard him Sting, let's get back to what we were doing" the pinkette whispered in my ear from behind.

I slid around in his arms so that I was facing him. "What were we doing?" I replied, earning a slightly confused look from the other Dragon Slayer. I smiled at this expression on Natsu. "Aw… so cute, did you really think I forgot about how you were begging me to suck you off?" I cooed at him after a moment, earning a slight glare from the pinkette.

"I think you mean how you were asking for _me_ to suck _you_ off again" he responded cockily. I just smirked wickedly at this, before unravelling his arms from around me, and then kneeling in front of his body. I looked up to him for a moment in my new position.

"Does that mean you _don't_ want me in this position?" I asked him with a lewd smirk. He chuckled darkly.

"Well… since you're down there…" he began. I just laughed. _Too easy…_ I thought, before Natsu removed his underwear, _Natsu is so easy to turn on…_

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

After our little bit of morning 'fun', Sting and I quickly showered, before heading off to the guild. Showering individually, it took us longer than expected to get ready, and so by the time we left Sting's apartment it was about 9AM. Entering the guild not much longer after that we were met by the stony expression of Thomas Zollzero.

"I've been waiting for you" he said as we entered the guild. I looked to Sting.

"Didn't Edric say that the meeting would be at eleven?" I asked the blond. Sting nodded.

"Yeah" he stated. Thomas sighed.

"No, it's not" he corrected us, giving us each a slightly less annoyed expression now that he understood the situation. "The meeting was to start at ten, however we started a little early to brief Makarov and Rogue properly about the events last night, then we figured we'd have you join us and go over everything else" Thomas explained, before he rolled his eyes, "I knew Edric was too tired this morning to remember all the information" he added with a tone of expectancy. I chuckled.

"Guess we can't be blamed for being late" Sting said, "Although it's still not 10AM yet" he added. Thomas shrugged.

"It didn't take as long to brief them as we expected so we've been waiting on you to arrive before we could continue" Thomas explained, before turning on the spot. With a look over his shoulder, the blond gestured for us to follow him. "If you're here now then we may continue" he stated, his voice showing that he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

Sting looked to me, before shrugging and motioning to follow Thomas. I also followed, although a little unwillingingly. This was primarily because Sting and I had planned to have breakfast before the meeting, seeing as how we both thought we'd be early for once, although that plan was quickly derailed by Thomas' intervention. I leaned over to Sting as we walked to the place where the meeting was being held. " _Looks like this is our second breakfast this morning that has been interrupted by a Zollzero_ " I whispered to him, with a grin on my face. Sting looked to me with mild surprise, before he began smiling too.

"Yeah" he agreed, "It's a very annoying habit of theirs, isn't it?" he added with a wink. I chuckled with him as we turned the last corner of the guild's corridor and saw Edric waiting outside of a room. As he saw us a smile filtered across his features.

"Sorry about the mix up" he apologised upon our approach.

Sting waved an arm passively. "It's fine. Just means we'll have to wait a bit longer for breakfast" he stated in a mild tone of voice. Edric smirked at hearing this.

"So, you didn't have _breakfast_ after I left then?" he winked. Sting and I both narrowed our eyes at him as we moved to enter the room, Thomas opening the door. Neither of us said anything in reply to that comment, since we didn't want to give away our secret when potentially Makarov, or Rogue could hear us. _I just hope our showers earlier were enough to make sure he doesn't smell anything… otherwise I wasted another opportunity to shower with Sting_ I thought to myself as Sting and I took seats beside Rogue, with Sting sat in the middle and Rogue and I on either side of him. Makarov was sat a chair on the opposite side of a longer wooden table, obviously designed for meetings between larger groups of people, whilst the three Zollzero children all took up positions at one end of the table. Kenji and Haruki, I noticed, were absent.

As soon as Sting and I were seated, Edric began to speak. "Right, now that were all together, we may continue. As you are now all aware of the events of last night, we need only to go over the plans to come, as well as any other relevant information about the man who we failed to apprehend yesterday" he said in a more 'business' tone of voice than the one he had used with us earlier that morning. After this short speech, Thomas stood forward, before making numerous Archive screens appear around the room, with one beside him and his siblings, as well as smaller versions showing the same information in front Makarov and our little Dragon Slayer group respectively. I glanced over the screen for a moment, which displayed several images of people, along with little boxes that seemed to have information in them. I didn't read these, I just hoped Sting would and that he would understand them better than me.

"As you may see on your screens" Thomas then began, "The people involved in this instance were all bystanders, however some of them fell under this man's curse far before others. Although this means he was able to work under our radar without us noticing, we do not think that increases his threat level too much" Thomas explained, before he stepped back and allowed Medea to take the spotlight.

"One disturbing piece of information that was gleaned, however, was the knowledge that _two_ of the people present last night were not even from Magnolia. Rather instead they came from some place near to here" the blond woman left a moment of pause, before unveiling the key piece of information, "As may be seen, they come from Sabertooth's home town" she finished with a slightly over-dramatic tone, considering the purpose of this meeting. Sting seemed to tense a little hearing this, however he soon relaxed. _Edric already told us that, so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to him_ I thought, recalling the information and plan that the Card Mage had revealed to us earlier in the morning.

"Does that mean that they are going to strike there next?" Rogue asked the group. Edric nodded.

"Yes. I've already said this to Natsu and Sting earlier, however for the benefit of you and Makarov, I will now say that we believe that this group's objective is the disruption of the Zollzero family, by any means. This includes a directed effort against both Fairy Tail, and Sabertooth, because you are still indebted to us, and are therefore linked to us in some way" Edric stated. I noticed Makarov go a little withdrawn hearing this, although only for a moment. _Gramps wouldn't let the guild be threatened, we'll deal with whatever they throw at us_ I thought.

"So, they intend to do what, attack us?" Makarov asked. Edric shrugged.

"Something to that effect. Rather than a direct assault, they would more likely send threats, and perhaps show up in person, however I doubt, as I said to Natsu this morning, that they would pose much of a threat to your guild as a whole" Edric commented.

Makarov nodded. "Fairy Tail does not give in to threats" he stated. Edric smiled.

"No, it doesn't" he agreed, before looking back to Rogue, "However, to answer the question I'm sure you're really wanting to know, we already have a plan to prevent them attacking Sabertooth" Edric stated to the black-haired Dragon Slayer.

Rogue looked to Sting. "Did you already discuss this with them Sting?" he asked. Sting nodded beside me.

"Yeah," he stated, "And just so you know we've already agreed to it" he added with a faint smile. Rogue gave a slightly odd look upon hearing this, before he glanced at me.

"I assume by 'we' you mean you and Natsu?" he asked. Sting nodded.

"Yup" he said in a flat tone of voice. Edric watched the discussion for a moment, before choosing an appropriate time to jump back in.

"Master Eucliffe, Natsu and I have already discussed this, but once more for the benefit of those currently present, we will now go over the plan to deal with these people" Edric stated, before looking to the Archive screen, which Thomas changed at a gesture. On the changed screen, and their two smaller copies before us, were now displayed a map of what I knew to be the hometown of the Sabertooth guild. On the map, there were several little red dots with accompanying names, one of which included the name of the very guild that Rogue and my boyfriend were from.

"The plan is a simple one. As we have now disrupted their efforts _here_ at Fairy Tail, it is more likely that our rivals will put more effort into their attack on Sabertooth, perhaps even using all four of their members' powers" Edric began again. "This likelihood is increased by the fact that Sting, the Guildmaster of Sabertooth, now has been seen by them to have directly acted in a way that prevented them from achieving their goals" Edric added, looking to Sting. Sting smiled.

"So, they want revenge?" he asked. Edric nodded.

"Yes, and that is why this time we're going to get them at Sabertooth. In order to do this, neither me, nor Thomas, nor Medea may act, as we've already tried once, and for all of us to go to Sabertooth again may prompt our rivals to go into hiding instead of attempting to act. As such, we will only be using _two_ people from the group that helped stopped them here at Fairy Tail, that is to say you, Sting, and you, Natsu" Edric explained, gesturing to us each individually.

Rogue furrowed his brow at this. "Would it not appear odd for Natsu to go to our guild?" he asked. Edric shook his head.

"It would seem natural, if we use our connections as Zollzero's to spread a rumour that Natsu is going to help with the debt at your end" Edric explained. Rogue nodded in receipt of this information, however Makarov then spoke up.

"So, your intention is to continue using Sting and Natsu to deal with these people, despite them having no direct connection to the Zollzero family?" he asked. Edric nodded.

"Correct, although there is more than one reason why this is beneficial. You see, if Natsu and Sting prove to be key players in defeating this group, Arthur has it in his power to remove the remainder of the debt from over Fairy Tail's and Sabertooth's heads" Edric explained in a matter-of-fact tone. Makarov seemed a little surprised by this information, however he did well not to show it; only I seemed to notice the subtle change in his scent that revealed this, as Sting and Rogue appeared to be a little preoccupied discussing something else beside me. Edric smiled at the group. "With that in mind, it would be obvious to point out then that this is also in your best interest to achieve results here" he added. Sting nodded.

"Yes, I understand that" he confirmed, before he smiled, "However I have one question to ask you about this group" he stated bluntly. Edric's face went serious.

"You know I cannot tell you about our family matters, so this question may not receive an answer" he said. Sting nodded.

"Yes, however, all I want to know is what connection Kenji has to these people. That man last night seemed very aggressive towards Kenji in particular, and I notice that Kenji is also not here today" Sting observed. Edric smirked at this question.

"In answer to that, all I can say, is that during some… familial upheaval, Kenji took one side and they took another. Before that they were his students, however with this choice they became enemies. This also resulted in them abandoning the Zollzero's for their 'freedom'. As to why Kenji and Haruki are absent, however, they were called away by our Father, and so had to leave early this morning" Edric stated, before looking to Thomas. The Archive Mage gave a harsh look to Edric and shook his head. "That is all I can say. Are there any other questions?" Edric added after a moment. With that, Sting looked to me.

"Do you have any questions Natsu? You're also going to be involved, so don't hesitate to ask" he said to me. I shook my head.

"No. I pretty much understand; we're going to Sabertooth with Rogue, we help Arthur deal with these guys, and then the debt is gone. Right?" I looked to Edric as I summed this up. The blond teen nodded.

"More or less. As for what Arthur plans, I cannot say, mostly because he didn't tell me. Medea, Thomas and I will remain here at Fairy Tail for a while to make sure they don't try anything else, then when Haruki and Kenji return we'll leave to deal with our own business, whilst they continue keeping track over your debt" Edric stated.

"Speaking of the debt, how much is still owed?" Makarov asked Edric. The blond teen shrugged and looked to Thomas.

The Archive Mage looked to Makarov. "The debt has had over half paid; however, the income has slowed as all high-paying jobs in both guilds appear to have been completed, leaving only lesser paying jobs. As it stands, Fairy Tail is over half, but is a little short of three-quarters having been paid, whilst Sabertooth is at approximately eighty-two percent, although they have more people working on their end of the debt so a faster completion rate for them was expected" Thomas stated. Makarov nodded.

"So, the majority of the debt has been paid by both guilds?" he stated in receipt of this information. Sting smiled.

"It'll be one-hundred percent paid if me and Natsu are successful" he mused. Edric chuckled.

"Well you will just have to make sure that you are" he said, before looking across the group. "If that is everything, then we can conclude the meeting?" he said to us, prompting everyone to ask any lingering questions. As everyone remained quiet, Edric nodded, and the meeting was abandoned. Thomas was the first to leave, as he deactivated his Archive, before swiftly leaving the room with Medea. Sting, Rogue and I left soon after, with Makarov and Edric staying behind to 'discuss something'.

As we left I noticed the look Rogue gave us. Feeling his dark eyes on me, I suddenly felt very self-conscious about being around Sting. _Has he noticed?_ I worried momentarily. Once we were down the corridor we all stopped as a group.

Before I could ask what was up, or why we stopped, Rogue spoke up. "You two had sex again" he said bluntly, making me instantly panic, before he smiled. It took my mind a moment to process what he said.

 _Wait… Again…_ _What's going on?!_

/

Rogue smirked at Sting and me, whilst Sting just looked apologetically back towards the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "I'm sorry" he apologised. I looked to him with astonishment.

"You told Rogue about us?" I asked him. Sting looked to me and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sorry" he parroted. I sighed.

"I know you said that Rogue knew about your crush, but you never said anything about you actually _telling_ him we were dating" I stated, in a slightly frustrated tone. Sting bowed his head apologetically.

"I know, I meant to tell you. It's just… we kinda… got… distracted…" he trailed off. I looked to him for a moment; his deep, blue eyes shone with remorseful light. What else could I do but smile when met with such a cute-yet-handsome face.

"Okay, just… when did you tell him?" I asked Sting; depending on the length I figured I might be able to get my way for at least a little while.

Sting rubbed the back of his head. "Well… do you remember when we told Happy?" he asked me. I nodded. "It was before that, Rogue was here at the guild and he kinda… smelled it… I was gonna tell you after we told Happy, however… we got… side-tracked" he smiled sheepishly. I blushed slightly at the memory.

"Oh… right. Yeah, I guess we did end up getting distracted" I admitted, avoiding using the word to describe what we _actually_ ended up doing that day. The black-haired Mage just smiled at us.

"You also promised me that you'd try to hide it better. I know that it's not ideal, but it could end up reflecting on the guild Sting" Rogue stated. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, I know" he said, before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close, "It's just… do you know how hard it is to keep off of someone as cute and hot as _this_ " he squeezed me tight to him to emphasise the point. I almost felt like blushing again; seeing Sting act this way in front of another person was both embarrassing and… weirdly fulfilling... at the same time.

"I guess it's also my fault then" I added with a faint smile. Rogue sighed.

"Well whatever" he said in an almost despairing tone, "I guess it won't matter for long, since you'll be at Sabertooth for a little while, and besides me, no one else there will be able to smell that you two are together" he stated. I nodded.

"We've been careful around Wendy and Gajeel, but neither of them seemed to have noticed. If Laxus noticed, he woulda definitely said something too… so I guess it's all okay for now" I reasoned with a faint smile. Rogue nodded and returned the smile.

"Then that is fine. We should probably show our faces back at the main part of the guild now though, otherwise people might start to suspect something. I understand that everything has been kept quiet for now, about the job yesterday?" Rogue looked to us both for confirmation, as Sting allowed me to be freed from his grasp. We both nodded.

"Yeah" Sting confirmed verbally, "Should we get going then? We can have a drink and then you can catch me up on stuff at the guild whilst we're there. Natsu, do you want to see Happy, since you haven't spoken to him in a little while with everything that's been going on?" Sting looked to me with a pleasant smile.

I smiled back at him, before giving him a short kiss. I wanted to do more, but I couldn't bring myself to whilst Rogue was there. "That sounds good. We can go get breakfast after… or lunch I guess?" I said to him. Sting nodded.

"Sound's good, see you in a little while" he stated. With that I left him to walk back with Rogue whilst I charged around shouting out and looking for my furball partner.

I found him with Lucy, and we spent the next hour or so tormenting her, whilst also catching each other up on what we had been doing. I had to be careful not to spill anything secret, but other than that I found that despite the debt, and the threats to the guild, I could still enjoy stuff like I would normally.

After a little while, Sting came over to me. He and Happy shared a little smirk, however it wasn't until I stood up with him that the blue exceed lost control and ended up giggling hysterically. This confused Lucy, so with one quick motion I grabbed Happy, and then Sting and I dashed away from the guild before anyone started asking odd questions. The last thing I said to the Celestial Mage was a quick 'bye' along with the much louder; "Stupid Cat!".

/

"Happy, that was not cool" I said to my partner, as the now straight-faced feline walked, or rather flew, whilst sulking at the same time.

"You didn't have to grab me though" he retorted. Sting just sighed.

"If we hadn't people would've known something was up by your stupid laughter. Would you want to face down Lucy, or anyone else at the guild when they started asking what was u?" Sting stated, matter-of-factly. I nodded, before looking directly at Happy, our eyes meeting.

"Yeah. If Cana or Mirajane thought something was up, they'd have definitely pinned you down until they got an answer" I piled on, before giving Happy a more reasonable look; the blue exceed seemed to have been sufficiently scared by what I had said. "Now, buddy, you can either return to the guild, or do whatever you want… but me and Sting are gonna go get some lunch, since we both missed breakfast for that stupid meeting" I said in a very strict tone of voice. Happy looked to me for a moment, before considering his options carefully.

"I already ate, so I think I'm gonna go find Lisanna at the market. You two enjoy your lunch" he said, before flying slightly higher. As we watched him go, Sting looked to me.

"Are you sure that Happy isn't gonna give us away?" he asked me. I nodded and smiled.

"Although he seems childish sometimes, Happy is dependable and wouldn't break a promise he makes, at least to me anyways" I stated. Sting smirked upon hearing this.

"So, he's exactly like you then?" he mused. I frowned.

"Are you saying I'm childish?" I inquired, my arms folding and a pout forming on my face. Sting laughed.

"Yeah, I am, and you can't say you're not, when you pull faces like that" he answered. I rubbed the back of my head.

"I suppose that's true" I admitted, before shrugging, "Anyways… where'd Rogue go?" I asked Sting, trying to change the topic of conversation quickly as we walked to where I knew a lot of the cafés and restaurant were.

Sting shrugged. "He said he needed to deal with some stuff, before we leave tomorrow" Sting stated.

"Alright" I nodded.

"But it doesn't really matter, until tomorrow I can spend as much time as I want with you, so I think we should spend today doing something worthwhile together" Sting said. I smiled.

"I can think of a few things we could do" I stated. Sting laughed lowly.

"Those thing's you're think of… they can happen _later_. What I meant was that we can spend the time right now doing stuff like, well first lunch, then maybe… go to the market? Or how about we take a walk around town and find something fun to do?" Sting began listing possibilities.

I smiled at him. "I wasn't actually _just_ thinking about sex you know" I stated to him, which made him smile, "However we could do that if we wanted. I wouldn't mind going around the park, but there's this really cool place near the outskirts of town where there's this hill. Sometimes Happy and me go there and nap. It looks really nice with all the fields stretching out before us beyond the forest" I explained. Sting nodded at this idea.

"That sounds good" he commented, "How about we grab some snacks from the market after lunch, then we can spend some time laying around together?" he asked. I smiled and nodded vigorously.

"That's a good plan" I said. Sting chuckled.

"Then I guess that's what we'll do" he replied.

An hour or so later, Sting and I lay out under the bright summer sun, with a few delicious treats that Sting let me pick whilst we went through the market, smiles on each of our faces.

 _This is great…_ I thought to myself as I saw Sting's bright, happy smile. _I just wish all our days could be this great… although it seems like soon, after the debts gone… we're not gonna have anything to keep us together like this… and then Sting'll leave me… alone… again…_

I tried not to think about it; however, losing Sting now, even after only our short time together, made a great fear rise in my chest. It was greater than any fear I had felt during a fight. That was why I resolved to make every day memorable, since after all…

I love Sting, even if I hadn't said it yet.

And I just wanted to make sure that, even if it was for only one day, he loved me too.

 **End of Chapter 19**

 **Chapter Hint; A Dragon's Den**


	20. Chapter 20 - A Dragon's Den

**Chapter 20 – A Dragon's Den**

 **Magnolia, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I woke to the faint light of dusk. "Wha… I fell asleep?" I mumbled, looking around with a perplexed expression. A slight chuckle met my dazed slurring.

"Good evening, sleepy dragon" Sting laughed, looking down at me. From the angle he was to me, I guessed I must have fallen asleep in his lap. _Awww… I couldn't even manage to stay awake for ONE nice day together_ I complained internally.

I narrowed my eyes at the blond. "So…" I didn't have anything to say, however that just seemed to amuse Sting further.

"I can tell what you're thinking" he said, before changing his voice to a very loose interpretation of my own. " _Damn it, I fell asleep. I wanted to spend time with Sting, I'm so stupid_. Right?" he sniggered.

I frowned for a moment, before smiling. "Everything 'cept that ' _I'm so stupid_ ' bit" I replied. He rubbed the back of his head.

"It's alright, after you ate you fell asleep, however I couldn't stop looking at you. You were sooooo _cute_ " Sting grinned sheepishly. I continued looking up at him, allowing a small content smile to pass over my face; there was something weirdly comforting about laying in this position, with my head in his lap.

"So long as you weren't bored I guess that's fine then" I reasoned, ignoring his comment on my cuteness. Sting ruffled a hand through my hair, before leaning down and capturing me in a short, sweet kiss. I smiled into the kiss, however after a moment a thought flickered across my mind. Widening my smile slightly, I reached up and slid a hand through the golden locks on Sting's head. The White Dragon gave a little purr at the action. _That's it…_ I thought to myself, as I continued stroking Sting's hair playfully. Then, just as I felt Sting relax into the kiss, I pressed my tongue to his lip and entered without warning.

Sting's eyes, which had just closed, suddenly shot wide open with surprise. The cerulean orbs looked deep into my dark eyes, however I noted immediately the flickering light of amusement. And maybe a little lust too.

We broke away after a few minutes. I smiled up at Sting as the blond wiped his mouth with his hand. "Is someone feeling a little _heated_ after his nap? A late morning wood perhaps?" Sting mused.

I raised an eyebrow at Sting. "What are you trying to say?" I asked him in response.

Sting laughed. "Nothin' much" he replied. I grinned back at this.

"Because to me it seems like more than just _me_ is feeling a little horny. Especially when I'm lying in some other guy's _lap_ " I emphasised our current arrangement as much as I could. Sting went wide-eyed for a moment, as he realised that I knew exactly which one of us was had a hard on. Then he blushed. _Adorable…_

"F-fuck…" he muttered embarrassedly.

I smiled again, harder this time. "Well… maybe later, okay?" I winked at him and began laughing a little.

Sting looked to me for a moment, before blushing deeper, and then smiling himself. "Well… we _did_ agree to have sex again didn't we; I've still got to get my end of the deal to fulfil" he grinned. I nodded, before another thought passed through my mind.

"Yeah… er… also, do you know what time it is now?" I asked. Sting pouted in thought for a moment, before shrugging and shaking his head.

"Nope. I don't have a watch or anything on either" he stated. I laughed, before looking out over the hillside, over the town and the sparkling water beyond the guild hall. I shrugged back at him.

"I think it's getting late" I stated. Sting nodded in agreement with this assessment.

"Yeah, me too" he agreed. After this a slightly uncomfortable silence fell over both of us. In our quiet state, we could hear the faint noises of the town beneath us; the sounds of people bustling around, chatting, and even the sounds of the forest nearby, with its birds singing their melodious tunes.

I couldn't have felt more peaceful here if I tried, especially with Sting beside me. If I focused I could even hear the faint _thud_ - _thud_ of the White Dragon Slayer's heartbeat. "Sting…" I mumbled without realising it.

Sting looked at me with an intent expression. "What is it Natsu? You want to get up?" his voice was full of care.

I looked away, embarrassed by my accidental slip-of-the-tounge. "Oh… um…" I looked around trying to find some kind of excuse, and failing poorly.

"Just thinking about something?" Sting asked me after a moment, clearly reading my thoughts through my expression. I nodded.

"Yeah" I admitted, giving a slightly sullen expression.

Sting just laughed and shook his head. "He he, at least I know what you're thinking" he mused.

I laughed aloud. "I was just thinking that… you know…" I was at a loss for words; I couldn't find a single word in my vocabulary to express the feeling I was experiencing in that moment.

Sting ruffled my hair once more. "That's okay, do you want to go somewhere else now?" he asked me. I pouted in thought for a moment, before looking back at Sting once more.

"Well… I've got an idea, but first… did you get that thing you needed to buy?" I asked him. Sting looked confused for a moment, before his eyes went wide and then settled to be part of a faint glittering grin.

"Oh, _that_ " he said, rubbing the back of his head again, "Yeah, I got it. I slipped away and bought it whilst we were looking for the food earlier" he admitted. I grinned back at Sting upon hearing it.

"Well then… how about I go take you somewhere that we can have some more enjoyable moments… _together_?" I asked him. Sting nodded.

"Alright" he agreed with all the eagerness of a child going to a candy store.

/

Sting and I went to my house, as it was closer, handily. "So… did you pick this hill because we were so close to your house, or was it just _convenience?_ " Sting questioned me as we walked, our hands joined, fingers intertwined. I chuckled and shrugged.

"Maybe it was both" I responded with a cocky smile.

Sting laughed. "Not that I mind" he mused, before leaning in, "Since either way we get to have more _fun_. I've still gotta pay you back for last night after all" he added. I raised an eyebrow, before leaning in to kiss Sting briefly.

"Well then, let's see what you've got up your sleeves" I replied with a sly smile. Sting's eyes flickered with an internal amusement for a moment, before he looked down the path, where my house stood proud, despite its crumbling façade. With only barely a moment of thought, Sting glanced back toward me, before dragging me forward hurriedly. "Come on!" he giggled.

I didn't even have it in me to protest as I was forcefully dragged along to my house by the blond; after our little wake-up kiss, I was just too horny to _not_ want whatever Sting had planned inside his own head. When we neared the house, Sting slowed, and used his entwined hand to pull me up in front of him. I took one look at his face and knew what was coming. His lips pressed against mine in a more forceful kiss, his tongue seeking entry almost immediately. "Mphm… Sting…" I mumbled into the kiss.

Sting did not respond, except for a slight step closer to me, his arms wrapping around my body and bringing me into the warmth of his form. As he held me close, I used my hands to try and open the door at my back and allow us both into the house. _Damn this is hard without being able to see properly_ I thought as I fumbled with the door knob. Still Sting did not break away, until at last another sound wrenched his attention away from the moment.

"What are you two thinking about doing here? Hmmmm…." Happy looked to us accusingly as he floated in mid-air beside us.

/

Sting and I both jumped at the sudden sound. As if by reaction alone, we pushed each other away to stand awkwardly before the blue exceed. "Happy… you're… here…" I mumbled in surprise. Sting looked to me, then to Happy, and then back to me once again.

"You thought this place was empty, right Natsu?" Sting asked me. I looked sheepishly to Sting and nodded.

"Errr… yeah, obviously" I replied, which made me look back to Happy. The front door was still closed, so I realised the cat must've came out through the open window beside him. With a frown, I looked more intently at my partner. "So, what are you doing here Happy; didn't you say that after you'd help Lisanna at the market, then you were going on a longer job with Gray and Lucy whilst I had to go to Sabertooth with Sting?" I asked the feline. Happy shrugged nonchalantly.

"I did help Lisanna, however Gray had stuff to do, so me and Lucy postponed the job until tomorrow. Anyway, this is _my_ house too Natsu, so you shouldn't be surprised about me being here" Happy answered, eyeing me suspiciously.

I cast my gaze downwards at the exceeds words, however Sting spoke up. "I'm sorry you caught us Happy, we thought the place'd be empty, if we'd known we wouldn't have… done… that…" the White Dragon said, trailing off as embarrassment made it difficult for him to describe or even mention exactly what he and I were doing only moments before. Happy laughed.

"Really, because it didn't look like that from where I was sitting. I bet if I had stayed quiet you two wouldn't have even noticed I was here and would've went upstairs to do something _naughty_ " Happy said in a chiding tone of voice. Sting frowned slightly.

"Okay, so we were intending on doing something like that…" he admitted, before smiling reasonably, "But I promise that we won't do anything _now_ " he said. Happy looked behind us to the rapidly setting sun; he could see that night time was fast approaching.

"If that's true then I guess you can stay here" Happy said, "It's getting late so I wouldn't want to make you walk back into town" he added in a compromising tone.

I smiled. "Thanks buddy" I said, happier now. Happy nodded.

"You're lucky you've got such an understanding partner, Natsu" the exceed grinned, as he opened the front door, "And just because I'm _so_ understanding, I'll even sleep on the couch, whilst you two get the bedroom to yourselves, just so long as nothing… _adult_ happens, deal?" Happy smirked at us both. Sting and I both nodded.

"Deal" we agreed.

As we followed Happy into the house, Sting leaned close to my ear. "Well… looks like you're gonna have to wait even longer before you get to see what I have in store" the White Dragon whispered. I looked back at him.

"Yeah, I know" I replied with a mock pout of disappointment.

Sting laughed at my expression.

/

Sting and I went to my room together, with Happy busying himself downstairs preparing our old sofa to be his bed for the night. Sting flopped down on the bed with a heavy sigh. "So, it looks like we won't be having fun after all" he complained. I chuckled as I closed the bedroom door behind us.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped since Happy's here and all" I responded. Sting sat up and looked at me.

"But you know…" he grinned, trailing off as his eyes glittered mischievously. I shook my head at him, already pre-empting what he was about to say.

"No. Not with happy here" I said in a stern voice. Sting pouted.

"But… why? We only need to be quiet" Sting said, in a tone that sounded far more reasonable than what he was actually suggesting. I rolled my eyes. _Well… I guess our roles have reversed a little since this morning…_ Flickers of memory passed through my mind of this morning, with Sting telling me quiet firmly 'No' to my offers of sex.

"But if Happy finds out then he'll stop trusting us and will not let you stay over with me here again" I reasoned, trying a different tact to quell my boyfriend's persistence as I sat down on the edge of the bed.

Sting smiled and sat up moving in close to me. "But that's only _if_ he finds out" the blond said with a wicked grin.

I frowned at him. "If you are so desperate for this then fine, but I'm counting it as your half of our deal" I stated. That made the other Dragon Slayer stop for a moment. But only for a moment.

"Alright, I'll agree to that. It's not me who loses out here anyways, since that means _you_ won't get to see what I had planned" Sting grinned.

"Tch…" I cursed inwardly at the failure of my little plan and how it was now backfiring on me. Sting took my silence as an invitation, as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, hands brushing over my chest and abdomen. I looked back over my shoulder at the grinning blond.

"So, do ya wanna do it?" he asked. I shrugged, before falling back and laying down on the bed. My sudden movement caught Sting unawares and he ended up falling back on his butt as I lay and watched him upside-down.

"Depends… what did you have in mind? If we wait until Happy goes to sleep and _then_ mess about we may not get caught. So long as we're _really_ quiet" I said to Sting. The White Dragon Slayer pouted for a moment, before chuckling.

"We _could_ wait for Happy to sleep," he said in a more reasonable tone of voice, which was immediately broken by the wilder smile he wore on his face. "Or maybe we could…" he trailed off as he leaned over to me and began kissing my upturned mouth. I allowed him to have his moment of fun, before Sting broke off and finished his sentence. "Or maybe we could just try to keep in _really_ quiet?" he finished. I raised my eyebrows for a moment, however I knew that we could keep debating this all night, and we'd still end up having sex anyways; afterall, I was too horny after waking up in Sting's lap to continue arguing against the blonde's advances forever.

"Alright, but still… what ya got in mind?" I asked him, this time with more willingness in my voice. _I'll not count this as our deal just yet… but only because I'm curious about Sting's plans_ I thought to myself.

/

Sting stripped himself down immediately as he smirked at me, my question left unanswered as his eyes glittered with amusement. "Just strip" was all the blond said in response.

"Alright" I mumbled, as I stood up and began removing my clothes. As I turned around, naked, I saw Sting equally as naked laying on my bed. "So, what now?" I asked him, since he seemed to be calling the shots.

Sting giggled and stood up. Moving close, he drew his arms around my waist and began kissing me. As Sting kissed me, he began pushing me back, until my bare back was against the hard wood of the bedroom door. _What's he up to?_ I thought suspiciously, in amongst delicious flicks of my tongue against the other male's.

As we broke for air, Sting grinned wide again. "Now… be _very_ quiet Natsu" he said. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"But what are ya gonna do?" I asked him. Besides having our boners rubbing against each other in our current position, I could not perceive Sting's thoughts, or guess at exactly _how_ he intended to pleasure me. The White Dragon Slayer just chuckled darkly, under his breath.

"Not figured that out yet, huh?" he questioned rhetorically. I remained quiet, as Sting continued giggling, before the blond began kissing along my jawline and neck. "Well then…" he talked in between kisses, each fluttering peck getting lower and lower on my body until he was finally on his knees. What about… now?" he asked, looking up from his kneeling position. I raised my eyebrows again, a faint smile touching my lips.

"Again, didn't you have enough this morning?" I responded, with a faintly amuse tone of voice.

Sting shrugged. "It's not like I could get bored of it" he replied.

I laughed. "Well… ya managed to _interest_ me" I stated, before wiggling my hips a little to highlight my hardened member, only inches from Sting's face.

Sting looked at the appendage for a moment, before looking back up at me. "Just remember" he began with a wicked smirk, kissing the tip of my cock, "Be _quiet_ " he emphasised the word as much as he could.

I grinned. "Just get started already, the longer we do this the more likely we get caught" I said. Sting chuckled, before shrugging.

"Alright" he stated, before moving his head forward to begin swallowing down my member.

It wasn't long before I was desperately trying to strangle the moans that threatened to burst forth from my throat. "Mnmph…so… goo-d…" I said in a muffled voice, as I used my hand to cover my mouth and stop any unwanted noises from escaping. Sting looked up at me as his head bobbed up and down on my cock, tongue more expertly flicking around the head and slit, each action making heat rise in my groin.

He chuckled as he clearly enjoyed the sight of me desperately trying to silence myself. For a brief moment, the White Dragon Slayer removed my member from his mouth, using the time to mock me. "If it's getting too hard for you to keep quiet, why don'tcha just _let it out_?" he smirked up at me. I growled behind my hand.

"Bastard… don't stop" I said gruffly. Sting continued grinning at this, so I reached out and ran my hands through his blond locks, before using the grip to move him back towards my cock.

"Someone's horny" Sting mumbled, before taking in some my member once more. I moaned as Sting toyed with the head, before finally taking everything down to the base. He bobbed up and down once again, his hands moving deliciously over my abdomen, before sliding down to grip my butt and thighs. It all felt amazing; however, the task was short lived as behind a gasped breath I gave my one and only warning.

"S-Sting… coming…" I said in my still muted voice.

The White Dragon Slayer looked up at me and locked eyes, as he began gulping down streams of my seed. "Agh… mphnm… good…" I barked as waves of orgasmic pleasure filled my body and surged along my spine all the way to my brain.

I rode the wave of pleasure for its full duration, never letting go of Sting's head with my one hand, whilst equally never removing the hand that was covering my mouth, lest an accidental moan escape my lips. As the orgasm subsided, I finally lowered my hand from Sting's head and the blond removed my cock from his mouth. Standing naked before me, I noticed he was still hard, so I decided to reach out and touch his member. "Don't…" Sting said with a voice that was surprisingly firm.

I furrowed my brows at him. "You don't want release? Or do you not want me to stroke it?" I questioned him, my mind trying to process exactly why the other Dragon Slayer had recoiled so suddenly.

Sting shook his head. "I don't want you to release me… I'm kinda saving up" he said, with a slight note of embarrassment touching his voice. I continued frowning for a moment, before shrugging off.

"Well… if you're sure" I muttered, before going over to the bed and clambering inside. Sting turned off the light and then, went to the other side of the bed and followed suit. Even in the darkness I could see that his member was still hard, but untouched. "Are you're really sure you don't want me to do anything, why are you saving up?" I asked him, as the situation made me feel increasingly uneasy.

Sting blushed a little at my question before he answered. "After getting caught, and not being able to actually fuck you I decided… I'm gonna wait… until tomorrow. The next time I have sex with you I want it to be done properly" he stated. I pursed my lips in thought for a moment, as I took this information in.

"Does this have to do with our little deal?" I asked him, as a fluttering thought filtered through my consciousness.

Sting smirked and nodded, a little more confident now as his embarrassment faded. "Yeah. It'll make it a lot more fun next time, trust me" he said. I nodded in semi-understanding.

"So, if that's the case, why'd you make me have come?" I chuckled. Sting eyes glinted with mischief.

"You'll see" was all he said in reply, before he scooted closer to me in the bed, wrapping an arm around my body and trailing shapes down my back. "Now go to sleep, it's gonna be a long day of walking tomorrow" he added.

I smiled, and briefly considered quizzing him further, trying to gain any additional information that I could about his plans; however, I decided to let it slide. _Knowing him it'll be something amazing… besides, I'm kinda sleepy now after that_ I thought to myself as I let my eyes flutter closed. "Alright, but I'm not gonna wait around forever letting you have your way" I said to him.

I heard Sting chuckle back at me from the darkness. "That's okay, it won't be for much longer" he stated. After that I felt his face close to mine, and then a soft kiss was pressed to my lips, with only the barest flicker of his tongue as an accompaniment. I could taste my semen on his lips and smiled faintly. "Now good night" he said. I hummed softly, content.

"Good night to you too" I responded. Not long after that I fell asleep for the second time that day, with the pleasant snuffles of Sting's sleepy breathing lulling me into a peaceful dream.

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Summer Time**

 **Year X792, the following day**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

After our 'fun' the night before, Natsu and I awoke, got dressed, and then headed straight to the guild with Happy in tow. Discretely we questioned the exceed on how he slept, double checking that the feline had not overheard anything untoward happening in the bedroom where he would normally be curled up with Natsu. Thankfully, in his own words, he had 'slept like a log' and seemed oblivious to our activity the night before.

As we entered the guild, Natsu left me to quickly go and find Lucy with Happy. The exceed was supposed to be going on a job with her and Gray today, however it appeared that only the Celestial Spirit Mage was currently present in the guild hall. Natsu had offered to help 'track down' Gray, whilst I sought out Rogue to get ready to leave with him when the pinkette returned.

After about ten minutes I also found myself at a loss, however, as Rogue was nowhere to be found. "Now that's weird. Normally he's always picky about being on time for stuff, it's not like him to be late" I muttered to myself as I wandered through the guildhall's numerous passageways. Mirajane had noticed me looking around before and had confirmed the Shadow Dragon Slayer's presence in the guild, with him having ordered coffee from her a little while ago. _So where could he be now?_ I wondered to myself.

When I was sure I had searched the whole building, I returned to the central bar area. "Still not here?" I questioned as I re-entered the place where I had begun my fruitless search.

"Hello again Sting, have you still not found Rogue?" Mirajane asked me from behind the counter as the Take-Over Mage noticed me standing there. I shook my head at her.

"Nope, it's like he vanished" I said. Mirajane pouted in thought.

"He could have left, maybe. Are you running late for something important?" she asked me, with a sincere smile on her pretty face. I shrugged, remembering not to let others know about the group that Natsu and I had been hired by the Zollzero's to defeat.

"It's not very important, just that I was gonna head out with him and Natsu on a mission. We're gonna pass by Sabertooth on the way so I can check on things there" I said to her, telling mostly the truth. Mirajane smiled.

"Maybe you should ask Natsu, he's been running around looking for Gray, so he might have seen Rogue whilst he was searching" the female Mage suggested. I smiled at her.

"That's actually a good idea. I'll try that" I said to her, happily taking her advice on this. Giving Mirajane one last smile, I headed over to where I saw Natsu, Lucy and Happy all sitting.

"Hey Sting" Natsu greeted me, before I had even sat down, "Ya found Rogue?"

I shook my head. "No, that's why I'm coming over. You haven't seen him on your search, have you?" I asked the three wizards. Lucy, Happy and Natsu all shook their heads.

"No, we haven't found Gray either" Lucy commented, "And if we're much longer we aren't gonna make the next train to where our job is" she added with a slightly more complaining tone of voice. I frowned.

"So, neither of them are here?" I asked, more rhetorically although Natsu nodded all the same.

"Seem's like that" he said, before wrinkling his nose. "I could smell their scents here though, so they must've been here earlier at least" he stated. I absorbed this information and began to think of possibilities.

"That could mean they went into town for something, I know Rogue's worked with Gray on a job to pay off the debt, so maybe they became friendlier?" even to my ears this theory sounded odd, however it was the only conclusion I could come too. Lucy shrugged.

"I guess so… they both like Frosch too, so maybe they have other things in common?" she added. I nodded, and looked to Natsu.

"I think that in order to solve our problem what might be best is to look around town. If me and Natsu go out and find them, can you two stay here at the guild just in case they come back?" I looked to Happy and Lucy as I said this. They both nodded in understanding.

"Alright, you're Dragon Slayer noses should be able to track them, right?" Lucy replied. Natsu scoffed at this statement.

"You should know better than anybody how good _my_ nose is Lucy" he mused. I smiled.

"Well then, time's wasting. Let's go!" I chuckled, before tugging at Natsu's arm to get him to follow me out of the guild and out into Magnolia town.

After catching trails of scent here and there, Natsu eventually followed the Ice Mage's scent all the way to a bar elsewhere in town. Looking to me confusedly, he shrugged, before leading the way inside. The inside of the place was relatively well-kept, for a bar at least, however the place was nearly barren of customers. Only two people remained in the whole establishment; one of which was very familiar to both Natsu and me.

"Oh, if you're lookin' for Gray, he came by here with Rogue a little while ago, something about finding something he lost last night" Cana said, with the slight slurring that came only from blood-alcohol content so high that only Bacchus of Quattro Cerberus could beat it. I frowned.

"That's weird" I said, "Do you know where they went after that?" I asked the drunken Cana. The Card Mage shrugged.

"Don't know. I was too busy teaching all the guys here how to drink properly" she laughed. I realised that the empty state of the bar must've been the result of her scaring away all the would-be patrons.

"Alright. We're gonna go now" Natsu said, before turning to leave. Just before we left, however, Cana stopped us one last time.

"Oh… I think they said something 'bout having to get something from Gray's place" she stated. We both nodded and thanked her for the information, before leaving hurriedly. As I ahd never been to the Ice Mage's apartment in all my time at Fairy Tail so far, Natsu led the way whilst I absentmindedly wondered why Rogue would be helping Gray to search for something.

After a few minutes walking, my mind roiled with possibilities, most of which seemed either too-ridiculous, or too weird to be possible. It was only as Natsu lead the way to the apartment that Gray lived in that a faint realisation struck me.

/

Natsu knocked on the door, as we stood quietly waiting. I could hear some movement inside the apartment, but no sound of voices that suggested _who_ was on the other side. "Maybe they didn't realise the time?" Natsu voiced to me as we continued waiting. I shrugged.

"Maybe…" I responded, not so sure.

After a few minutes, Gray appeared at the door, in his undies; nothing new there then. "Hi guys, what're you doing here?" he asked us, in a calm, nonchalant manner. I narrowed my eyes instantly at the Ice Mage. _That smell… Rogue's here… and… oh…_ a big smile broke over my features as I met the dark-eyed gaze of the Devil-Slayer-Maker-Mage.

"We were looking for you, Lucy and Happy were worrying because you're late, and they're gonna miss the train they said" I informed Gray, who smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry… guess I lost track of time. I was busy looking for something" he replied. Natsu smirked.

"Really" he said, glancing at me. From his gaze, I could tell he also could smell exactly what I already had, and had also came to the same conclusion. "Is Rogue here too, because Cana said she saw you and him leave together?" he pressed Gray for answers. The Ice Mage floundered for a moment, before nodding.

"Yeah, he was… helping me look, since he's got that Dragon Slayer nose and all, I figured he'd be useful" he responded, obviously oblivious to the fact that both Natsu and I knew that this was all untrue. Even more amusingly he _acknowledged_ the fact that we Dragon Slayers had great sense of smell. Natsu and I both played along for as long as we could, although from the pinkette's grin I could tell it would be for all that long.

"Well if that's the case could we go get him, we've also got stuff we need to do and we're quite busy" I stated, in a flat voice that left little room for the other wizard to disagree. Gray shrugged.

"Well yeah, but he's-" before Gray could finish his statement, Rogue appeared in the doorway, a frown already on his face.

"Give it up Gray" he said in a mildly annoyed tone. The Ice Mage looked in surprise to the Dragon Slayer.

"Rogue, I thought you were going to hide in my bedroom" he complained quickly. The Shadow Dragon Slayer shook his head and looked between me and Natsu; I noticed his clothes were still slightly ruffled, as if he had needed to put them on in a hurry.

"They already know. They can tell from the smell, right?" he looked to me specifically to answer this. I grinned brightly and nodded.

"Yeah, we can" I agreed. Gray looked around confused for a moment, before sighing, as the realisation struck him that Natsu and I had known about what they had been doing only moments before (from the strength of the smell) since the minute he had opened his apartment door.

"Guess you guys should come in for a minute then" he said, opening the door wider and ushering us inside.

/

The inside of Gray's apartment was surprisingly well-kept, unlike Natsu's place. I sat on a sofa offered to me, Natsu right beside me. Gray and Rogue both remained standing, each obviously unsure how to deal with this situation and uncomfortable for having it occur in the first place. "So, you two are… together then. That's quite a surprise" I stated, trying to clear the air and confirm exactly what was going on between Gray and my friend.

Gray and Rogue both nodded in response to this. "Yeah, we are" Gray said, before looking to the smiling face of Natsu, "And I bet you're gonna make fun of us, right Flame Brain?" he added with a sharp tone. Natsu looked to me and chuckled.

"Well, I _could_ make fun of you" he said. Gray sighed again.

"This was why I wanted to keep it secret" he said in a dejected tone. Rogue looked to Gray, before looking towards me, his eyes already asking me if it was okay to reveal mine and Natsu's shared secret. I smiled at him, but held up a hand to signal him to remain quiet, for now at least; I had a better plan in mind for how this could play out.

"Calm down Gray, we're not gonna make fun of you. I love Rogue like a brother, so I couldn't make fun of him, or you, over something small like this" I stated, trying to sound more mature. Gray looked to me intently.

"Really?" he said, clearly somewhat sceptical. I nodded.

"Yes, of course" I confirmed with a nod, before a smile played over my lips as I put my momentary thought into action. Whilst I still had Gray's attention I continued. "Besides, if I were making fun of you two, then I'd be pretty hypocritical, right Natsu?" I looked to the pinkette beside me, who nodded in return.

"Right" he said, "Because we're also doing stuff like _this_ " he added, before leaning in and capturing my lips in a short kiss. The action seemed to catch Gray by surprise as his eyes widened when I looked back at him after finishing the kiss.

"So… wait, you two are together?" he asked us, with a confused expression. I nodded.

"Yes, we have been for about a week or so. Rogue knows already, too" I smirked at the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Gray whipped his head around to look at Rogue.

"You did?" he asked, predictably. Rogue nodded.

"Yes. I knew that Sting and Natsu had gotten together… it was just around the same time me and you did… after our job dealing with that blight curse a while ago" Rogue stated to the Ice Mage. Gray smirked.

"So, both you and Sting came to Fairy Tail for more than one reason, huh?" he mused. Natsu laughed along with Gray.

"Well, I don't know 'bout Rogue, but Sting seems to have had quite the little crush on me when he began working here" the pinkette laughed. I yelped as he revealed this fact, before blushing deeply.

"Natsuuuu…" I whined, unable to stop the embarrassment from rising in my chest as he revealed this private information to other people. I covered my face with my hands for a moment, before looking back to Gray. Both he and Natsu were shaking with laughter, whilst Rogue and I looked at each other, humiliation clear on each of our faces. _At least it's not just me who's stuck with this problem_ I thought to myself. Rogue smirked a little, before deciding to intervene.

"As interesting as this is, Gray, we do need to go on our respective jobs you know. It's only because of your… insistence… earlier that we've ended up in this situation" he stated. Gray looked to Rogue, and stifled his laughter as he was reminded of this.

"Alright, I'll get going in a minute" he said. Rogue sighed.

"You're clothes first though" he stated. Natsu and I watched the short display, before my boyfriend leaned in with a chuckle on his lips.

"And Rogue's already starting to sound like Juvia" he whispered to me. I laughed. Rogue noticed our whispered commentary, and growled.

"No matter how bad you think you've got it, at least your boyfriend wears his clothes" he said as Gray began walking off towards, what I assumed, was the bedroom.

I shrugged. "Yeah, but our problem is that, as we're _both_ Dragon Slayers, we don't _want_ to keep our clothes on" I replied. Rogue sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You can control that, if you want to though" he said. I shrugged.

"I could say the same back at you if I wanted. Oh… and just so you know, I'd shower before we go out, otherwise any other Dragon Slayers will be able to tell that you and Gray had sex" I smiled back at him. Rogue frowned at me, before moving to follow Gray. He looked back momentarily, before muttering something inaudible. I just smiled. "Don't worry, we'll wait for ya" I stated, before pulling Natsu in to a close embrace, kissing the pinkette's cheek.

A little while later, Rogue, Gray, Natsu and I emerged from the Ice Mage's apartment and set off for the guild, making sure to tie up any loose ends before leaving for our respective jobs.

/

 **A little while later, however…**

"I know this isn't what you expected Gray, but it's still pretty important" I said as we walked. The Ice Mage just looked confusedly around our group.

"I still don't get why I'm going with you all now too" he stated. I smiled.

"Well, Lucy and Happy ditched you because you took too long, then Arthur sent Thomas a message saying that we'd need one extra person for the mission. Instead of involving someone else from Sabertooth, because they're all pretty busy as it is, we figured that you'd be an excellent candidate, seeing as how you we're not on a job" I replied, laying out the reasons plainly, despite the fact that Gray already knew all of this.

Gray sighed. "So, what exactly is it we're doing anyways, something for those Zollzero people?" he asked. I pouted for a moment; it was a valid question, and seeing as how he would be helping us, I saw no reason not to tell him the truth. All the same I kept quiet, just in case.

"Well, it's complicated… just wait 'till we meet up with Arthur, then he can explain it to you" I replied. Gray folded his arms over his chest as he walked beside Rogue.

"Alright" he stated, before growing quiet. I looked to Natsu as we walked. The pinkette was glancing between me and Gray. I furrowed my brows at him; right before we left, after making our little travel re-arrangement, I made Natsu promise me that he wouldn't start too many fights with the Ice Mage, primarily because, from what I had heard at Fairy Tail, their fights often got excessively destructive, and I didn't want _another_ bill being sent towards my guild.

After an hour or so walk, Natsu's stomach grumbled. I laughed, and looked around at where we were. "Hungry Natsu?" I mused. The pinkette nodded.

"Yeah, we didn't eat much this morning, so I've got nothin' in my stomach" he said. I smiled cockily at this comment.

"Well for breakfast we only had whatever was edible from the stuff _you_ had left in _your_ fridge, so don't blame me for it being so small" I replied, reminding Natsu of our measly breakfast, since neither he nor Happy had bothered to buy groceries for a while. Natsu pouted at this comment, however he knew he could not argue against it; it was the truth after all.

"If we keep walking, we'll be at the town in another ten minutes. We could get something to eat on the way to the guild" Rogue suggested. The black-haired Dragon Slayer had not really spoken much since we had left Magnolia, however I was glad he was not sulking because I had dragged his boyfriend along on our mission.

Looking to Natsu for confirmation, the Fire Dragon Slayer smiled brightly and nodded. "I think… I should be able to wait ten more minutes" he stated, albeit a little unsurely.

I nodded and smiled. "Alright then, let's get moving then" I declared, before setting us off at a brisker pace to the one we had previously been walking at.

/

Not long after that, we arrived at Sabertooth with pastries in our hands. Upon arriving at my hometown, I immediately took a detour and went to the little bakery shop I knew on the outskirts of town. The girl inside saw me, and my companions, and quickly produced about a dozen little pastry treats, including a few Palmiers, which I already knew Natsu liked from our beach trip. Gobbling the snacks, we marched on towards the guild. Hunger sated temporarily we arrived at the guild at around 1PM, only to be met with an unfamiliar face. "You sure took your time" Arthur Zollzero greeted us.

The man stood at about Gray's height, with his blond hair neatly cropped on his head, and his dark blue suit jacket open at the front, to reveal the white shirt he wore underneath. His green-blue eyes scanned our faces with wry amusement. "You took a little detour to grab some snacks?" he mused, as he noted the stray pastry crumbs on our faces. I shrugged.

"We had to leave earlier than we thought to make it here for the time you said, so we didn't have time to have breakfast" I said, with half-truth.

Arthur smiled, as two more people arrived to greet us; these faces were a lot more familiar to me at least. "It's been quite a while Sting" Yukino said, as she rushed up alongside Minerva.

"A guild shouldn't be without it's leader for so long" Minerva commented as she also approached. I smiled at the pair of female wizards.

"I've heard from Rogue all about how you two have been keeping things running as usual. I knew the guild would be okay with you guys here" I replied. Minerva smiled back at the remark, before looking to Arthur.

"We should continue the discussion in the office" she stated. Arthur and I both nodded in unison.

After that Minerva and I led the way into the master's, that is to say _my_ , office. It was quite a squeeze to fit everyone in, but somehow, we managed. Arthur, as the one with the information, took the seat behind the desk, whilst Natsu, Gray, Minerva, Rogue, Yukino, and myself all had to stand around and watch him. With all of us assembled Arthur began to speak.

"For the sake of good planning, and faith, I have informed all of you here about the group that may or may not be threatening both the Sabertooth and Fairy Tail guilds" he started. I glanced around and noticed nods of understanding from Minerva and Yukino. _So, he decided to involve them too… I wonder why?_ The question remained unasked, and unanswered as Arthur continued. "For the sake of Gray, however, I will quickly go over everything so far; Firstly, there is a group that actively rivals the Zollzero family. Due to their hatred of us, they have decided to target several affiliated Zollzero business, as well as your two guilds due to your connection with us" he took a moment to allow this to sink in. "After confronting them in Magnolia, and failing, it has been left up to me, as the only remaining member of those active in the family, to finally deal with this issue. To that end, I have come up with a plan that will require the skills and talents of everyone here in this room" Arthur stopped to observe the effect his speech was having on us. Almost everyone look content with what had been said so far. Almost.

"So, we're here to deal with group because _you guys_ could manage to do it?" Gray asked, in a flat voice. His expression told me he was just looking for confirmation, however his tone seemed rather aggressive.

Arthur nodded at the Ice Mage all the same. "Yes" he stated. "Back in magnolia, Edric, Thomas, Medea, Kenji, Haruki, Natsu and Sting all failed to capture the member of the group that was present there. The group in total has five members, and since some information gained after that little enterprise showed that they were already active in this town, it stands to reason another member is present here as well" Arthur stated. Gray nodded in understanding.

"Alright" he stated, growing quiet once again. With no other questions, the blond Spatial Mage continued.

"So, as for the plan, it is quite simple, but should be very effective" Arthur began again, "It will occur in three parts. Part one will be achieved by myself. Basically, I will begin to spread a rumour that Sabertooth, working alongside Fairy Tail, has been hired to guard a very rare, very expensive artefact, that I, as a Zollzero member, intend to steal" as Arthur explained this, he ruffled about his person, before producing an expensive-looking antique brooch. "This will be the artefact. It is an expensive brooch, but it has no particular rarity or magical abilities. I will spread some additional lies to make it seem more valuable" he explained as he placed the object down on the desk so we could all see it.

"Will this be enough to lure people out?" Minerva asked as she looked at the 'artefact'.

Arthur nodded. "Even if they do not believe it to be all that valuable, the fact that _I_ am after will be the real bait that should lure in our intended prey. Equally, because it is known that the Zollzero family is after it, it is unlikely that any other group would go for it, seeing as how it would 'anger' us" he explained further. Minerva nodded in response to this.

"So, you're going to use this to lure them out, then we, as the 'guards' capture them?" she asked Arthur, a slight smile playing with the Territory wizard's lips. I smiled in amusement at this. _Even m'lady is interested in this job…_

Arthur nodded once again. "Yes, that is part _two_ of my plan. Tomorrow you will guard this object at a specific location, or rather, Natsu, Gray, Rogue and Sting will" Arthur stated. Yukino furrowed her brow at this information.

"We're not going to be present?" she asked. Arthur shook his head.

"No. If all of you were to be there, it may discourage even our rivals from showing their faces. Instead, I want Minerva and you to be stationed nearby. If things get… problematic, then Minerva may use her power to transport you in and you two can assist us, additionally you can help block off any chance of escape they could have" Arthur stated flatly. Minerva and Yukino both nodded at this plan.

"Understood" Yukino said, in a more understanding tone of voice.

I then spoke up. "So, what's part three of your plan then?" I asked Arthur. The blond Mage smiled.

"I'm going to, for the sake of appearances, 'break in' to this secure location you're guarding. You're then, conveniently, going to allow me to steal the brooch, and begin to make my escape. In this time, it is likely our opponents will make their move, and either attack me when I'm breaking in, or when I begin to make my escape. Either way this'll lure them out and then, once they're out in the open, allow you all to help me capture them" Arthur smiled contently at his plan. I smirked back; this plan did seem to show some promise.

With a nod, I looked at the group. "So, you all understand what's gonna happen then?" I asked them. The group around me all nodded, which made Arthur laugh.

"Guess I'd better get to work then" he stated, before standing up. "Oh… but one last thing" he added, just as we began to move towards the door and into some less restricted space. We all turned towards him. "This is going to work but you're going to have to keep up appearances, so act natural all the way until the plan tomorrow" he stated. I smirked at him.

"That's exactly the same thing Edric said when we went through with his plan last time" I commented. Arthur nodded.

"It's a very important thing" he smirked back.

/

As we all left, we each split off into groups. Rogue stayed with Gray to fill him in on everything that had happened in Magnolia, whilst Natsu and I quickly darted out the guild's exit. The other Dragon Slayer had seemed surprised by my sudden need to leave, however he did not protest until we were out of the building and heading down a discrete, empty street away from the guild. "Hey Sting, I thought we were going to get lunch at the guild" he stated as we walked. I smiled at him.

"Well, we could go back to the guild for lunch" I replied, before putting on a big grin, "However, I thought you might like it more if we went and got lunch at my place. How about it, wanna see the White Dragon's Den?" I added. Natsu looked to me suspiciously.

"I thought you said you lived with Rogue?" he questioned me. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Well that's true… but I…" I couldn't help the wry smile that played with my lips. "Alright, wanna see the White and _Shadow_ Dragon's Den?" I corrected. Natsu smirked at this.

"Okay, but I don't see why we couldn't have lunch here first though?" he stated. I stopped for a moment and gave a slightly embarrassed expression. Natsu cocked his head to the side in silent question as he saw me do this.

After a moment, I answered. "After last night… I was hoping that, maybe… you might want to… have some _fun_ too. Properly this time" I added a little nervously. Natsu chuckled at my suggested and brushed a hand to my cheek.

"Awww… did that walk make you horny?" he poked fun at me. I shook my head.

"We can have lunch first though, if you're _that_ hungry" I stated, trying to smother any embarrassment I was feeling at that moment. Natsu just laughed even more at hearing this.

"Hey, I'm always hungry" he said, before leaning in, " _for a fuck with my boyfriend_ " he added with his own wry smile.

I looked at him with surprise, before smiling back. "Well let's go then. We can eat there too, unlike _you_ we actually buy food" I stated smugly. Natsu gave a mock look of offense for a moment, before settling back, once more, into his smile.

I couldn't help the spring in my step as I walked along with Natsu towards mine and Rogue's apartment, however a niggling thought remained at the back of my mind, and it wasn't until I actually _reached_ the apartment that I realised.

I hadn't told Lector I was back yet. In fact, I hadn't even _seen_ the exceed yet.

Yet.

 **End of Chapter 21**

 **Chapter Hint; Traps**


	21. Chapter 21 - Traps

**Chapter 21 – Traps**

 **Sting's (and Rogue's) Apartment, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

We arrived at the entrance to Sting's home with smiles on our faces. "Just a minute" Sting stated, as he let go of my hand, which he had eagerly taken earlier as he whisked me through town. The White Dragon Slayer fumbled about his person for a moment, before producing a set of keys and unlocking the door. I smiled as I watched him, a few thoughts coming to mind. _He's so… so… cute? No… not cute, beautiful? That doesn't sound right either… argh… why can't I describe this_ I thought to myself, as the _click_ of the lock was heard. Sting turned to me and smiled.

"Alright" he said, before grabbing my hand, "Welcome to Castle Eucliffe" he chuckled. I smirked back at him.

"You mean Castle Eucliffe _and_ Cheney?" I corrected him slyly. Sting rolled his eyes and pulled me close.

"Yeah yeah" he sighed, before tugging me inside and closing the door behind us. Immediately the blond pressed me up against the wooden surface. "Now here's your welcome kiss" he stated coyly, before locking my lips with his own.

The kiss was short and sweet, as the blond instantly pulled up off of me. I was confused as to why Sting had stopped so suddenly, however as I saw his facial expression I narrowed my gaze. "What's up?" I asked him. Sting smiled.

"Nothing, just… come on in" he stated, before gesturing at me to follow him. I pouted confusedly for a moment, before shrugging this off and bounding up behind the other Dragon Slayer. I glanced around the place as Sting lead me further inside; it was really nice, cosy yet spacious enough to have plenty of room, with odd trinkets and things here and there. _I want to ask about some of this stuff… but… I guess I'll ask later_ I thought as we walked, unsure of how to act with Sting when he was so obviously tense. After a moment, the blond led me into a room with two sofas, and various other furnishings, a lounge of sorts. As soon as we were inside I realised why Sting had stopped his kisses a moment ago.

"Hiya Sting" Lector bounced up in surprise from the sofa, Frosch not far behind him as the pair floated over on their magical wings.

"Hey buddy" Sting greeted the red exceed, who gave the blond a happy high-five, before acknowledging my presence.

"Oh, what's this? Well… hey there Natsu" Lector said to me. I smiled politely.

"Hi. Lector, right?" I stated in response. The exceed nodded.

"Yeah, surely you cannot have forgotten me so easily" he smiled, giving a falsely wounded tone, as if me forgetting him would physically hurt. I shook my head in response to this.

"No" I admitted, before looking over to Frosch, "Oh, and hiya Frosch" I added with a smile.

The pink 'frog' smiled back. "Hi" it greeted back, before looking over to Sting "If Sting's here then shouldn't Rogue be back too. Where's Rogue?" the cat asked, directing this to the blond beside me, who smiled.

"Rogue had to deal with something at the guild, he should be there, if you want to see him, Frosch" Sting explained. The frog-dressed feline nodded.

"Okay, I was just going to ask him how his job went, that's all" the exceed stated. Lector smirked at Sting.

"So ya left Rogue at the guild to deal with stuff, despite the fact you've been away from the guild for so long. Your awesome, buddy, but you're not doing so well as a guild master" the exceed commented slyly. Sting gave a shocked expression, before folding his arms over his chest and pouting.

"Hmphm… I just _really_ wanted to see you guys, that's all" he lied. I smiled hearing this, but tried to cover this up. Lector just rolled his eyes.

"And instead of bringing Rogue back, you brought a _different_ Dragon Slayer, hmmm?" he added with an accusing, knowing glance. A thought passed through my mind seeing the exceed act like this. _Sting said he told these two about his crush… so does that mean he wants to tell them about_ us _now…_

The White Dragon Slayer smiled calmly in response to Lector's implication, before looking over to me. "Well Natsu was just curious to see where I lived, that's all" he stated. I rubbed the back of my head in mock sheepishness.

"It's true. Plus, Sting agreed to show me where I could get some lunch after" I said, trying to add some credibility to the blonde's claims. Lector looked intently at us for a moment, before smiling.

"Alright" he said, before looking over to Sting. I noticed him whisper something to his partner, before smiling. As they talked privately for a moment, I looked at Frosch, who was busy doing something on the floor. "So, what are you up to Frosch, I hope it's not too much of a disappointment that I came here with Sting, whilst Rogue's stayed at your guild" I stated to the exceed. Frosch smiled up at me.

"It's okay" it replied. I nodded happily.

"That's good" I commented, before glancing up at Sting. I noticed the Dragon Slayer and his exceed companion looking over at me with a curious expression. I smiled at them both, and they each smiled back, before returning to their whispering. _I wonder what they are talking about?_

 _Wait… is it about me?_

/

 **Sting's (and Rogue's) Apartment, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

Lector drew me aside slightly and began whispering in a very low tone. "So, is there _another_ reason ya brought Natsu here?" he asked me with a discretely shrewd smile.

I gave an expression of vague surprise, before smirking in response. "Well… maybe" I admitted, making the exceed smile wider.

"I thought so… no one would be _that_ interested in seeing where you live" Lector commented. I glanced to Natsu, as the pinkette looked suspiciously at us for a moment. A faint smile touched his mouth as he observed us, before he turned around to look down at Frosch, who had given up on flying to continue doodling on piece of paper on the floor. From the glint in his eyes, I knew he could tell we were talking about him. Lector also turned his attention to the pinkette for a moment, before looking back at me. "So… does he know then? About what you feel for him?" the exceed asked, in no uncertain terms. I maintained my gaze for a fraction longer before turning to face my partner. _I should probably tell him… I don't think Natsu'd mind… would he?_

"Ummm… well… about that" I started, before faltering. Lector frowned at me for a moment, before shaking his head.

"You chickened out? Or did Natsu do something that made you _not_ want to tell him?" he asked me, trying to prompt for more information. I frowned for a moment, before taking a deep breath.

"Well… you see… he…" once again I stopped. _Wait… I have told Natsu, but… he's never really said it yet. I haven't said it either but…_ in my sudden panic I looked to the pinkette, who met my gaze with hardened-yet-caring eyes. Standing up, Natsu took a step closer to Lector and me.

"Hey Sting" Natsu began with a faint smile. I furrowed my brows at him. _What's he gonna do?_

"Yes Natsu, something up?" I asked him in as nonchalant a tone as possible.

Natsu grinned. "No, just… _surprise_!" he barked, before leaping the remaining distance between us and kissing me sweetly. I was surprised by the action for a moment, before smiling into the kiss and closing my eyes. Natsu maintained his kiss for a few minutes, before breaking off and wrapping an arm around my waist. "Does that help?" he asked me and Lector. I looked to the exceed, before smirking.

"Well?" I asked him. Lector smirked back.

"So, you did tell him then?" he asked, rhetorically, before sighing, "I really thought you hadn't there for a moment" he added. I nodded.

"Yeah, Natsu and me are dating" I confirmed. Frosch flew up to float beside Lector.

"Aww… I'm happy for you Sting" Lector stated, "Ain't that right Frosch?" he added, nudging the pink flying 'frog' beside him.

Frosch nodded too. "Fro thinks so too" it confirmed. I smiled at them both.

"Thanks guys" I stated.

Lector kept smiling back at me, before looking to the other exceed. "Alright, come on Frosch, let's go. You wanna see Rogue, right?" he said to the 'frog'. Frosch smiled and nodded.

"Okay" it replied. I smirked at him.

"I just get here and you're already leaving, and right after I tell you _that_ as well" I commented slyly. Lector smiled back knowingly.

"Yeah, because we can hang out any time, whilst right now… you wanna be alone with Natsu, yeah?" the red exceed commented. I looked to Natsu, who beamed at me.

"Well, we did come over to hang out" the pinkette purred. I grinned at him.

"I suppose that's true" I stated, before returning my gaze to the flying pair. "Alright, thanks you guys. Just one thing though-" I began, before Lector interrupted.

"You want us to keep it a secret from everyone else" my partner finished. I nodded, with a slightly more serious smile on my face. The cat grinned. "I knew that already. We kept your secret about your crush, remember?" he mused. I rubbed the back of my head embarrassedly.

"Yeah, I remember. Thanks for that too…" I mumbled. Natsu continued smiling, a glint of mischief in his expression.

"Awww Sting, you're so cute when you're blushing" he giggled, before pinching my cheek. Lector observed the pinkette, before guffawing at the teasing.

"I never thought Sting'd let you act like that" he chuckled. I sent a slight glare at the cat that made him give a wicked grin. "Alright, we'll be going now. Come on Frosch" he stated, gesturing for the other exceed to follow him towards the door. Before they left, Lector looked back over his shoulder to me. "Oh, and make sure you come down to the guild later buddy, we've got a lot to catch up on" he laughed. I nodded back at the exceed, waving kindly.

"Alright, I'll see you soon" I replied. With that Lector, with Frosch in tow, left the apartment. Once they were gone I looked to Natsu, who grinned.

"So… what now?" the pinkette questioned. I gave a wry smile.

"I've got a couple ideas" I replied, before bringing the pinkette close to me, and kissing him, slowly. After all, even with that short distraction we still had plenty of time for everything I had mind. _Well technically we don't even need to show up at the guild 'til tomorrow night_ I thought with a reasoning tone.

/

 **Sting's Apartment, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

After Lector and Frosch's unexpected interruption, Sting and I had kissed for a little while, before deciding to take things a little slower than previously. The White Dragon Slayer had me take a seat whilst he wandered off to the adjacent kitchen to see what we could eat. When he returned to the living room, he was carrying a bowl of curry. "Sorry, this is all we had in that wouldn't involve us cooking something up" he apologised, before handing over the bowl to me.

I took it graciously. "Thanks" I said, before taking a spoon and eating some of the curry. "Hey, this is really good. Did you make this?" I beamed at Sting. The White Dragon snorted derisively and shook his head.

"No, I couldn't make toast. It's Rogue's cooking" he laughed. I chuckled, eating more of the curry.

"So, you're not good with money _or_ cooking, how did you live before you met Rogue?" I mused. Sting smirked and shrugged.

"Don't know, pretty bad I guess" he responded, before smiling more brightly, "But anyways, I'm glad you like it" he stated. I nodded, as I continued wolfing down the miniature meal. Soon I reached the end and set the bowl aside, before looking more intently at Sting. The White Dragon Slayer was still eating, although I could see he didn't have much left.

"Finished already?" he asked me rhetorically. I nodded all the same.

"Well, it was only _one_ bowlful" I stated, which made Sting laugh.

"I guess I should've known it would take more than that to fill you up, you greedy Dragon Slayer" he commented, before setting aside his own empty bowl. "But unfortunately, we don't really have much else to eat right now" he added, with his tone sounding a little dejected. I shrugged at him, before scooting closer on the sofa, wrapping my arm around the front of his abdomen in the process.

"It's okay, I'm fine for now" I stated, looking up at Sting from my new position. I enjoyed being like this with Sting, however something had been bugging me since Lector and Frosch left earlier. _Should I ask him? Or would… nah, I'm gonna ask him. I've wanted to do this for a while_ I reasoned internally for a moment. Sting looked down at me with a slightly inquisitive gaze. "Something on your mind Natsu?" he asked me. I frowned at him.

"Er… well no just… how did you know?" I responded, with a confused tone. The blond smiled, before sliding an arm around my shoulders and rubbing gentle circles into my back.

"I've said this before, but I can read you really easy Natsu, just like you can read me" Sting stated, before shooting me a helpful smile. "Plus, your scent gives it away, even if it is covered up by the curry" he added confidently. I smiled unsurely at Sting's words.

"Alright" I mumbled, trying to piece together in my head how, exactly, I should phrase the next question that had been on my mind. Sting patiently gave me time to think, before I finally spoke up. "So, what I was thinking about… well… when Lector was talking with you before, and he asked you about whether you had told me, why did you get all nervous, like you didn't know anything about me?" I asked the question directly, deciding it was best just to be upfront with this. Besides, I didn't exactly know any other way to phrase this that would make sense.

Sting seemed surprised by my question, however he gave it a few moments of serious thought. When he did reply, it was not what I had expected him to say. "Err… Natsu, how do you feel about _this_ , our relationship?" Sting asked me in counter-question. I pouted for a moment, trying to see if there was any double-meaning to the White Dragon Slayers words. When I realised that there wasn't, I smiled.

"Well, I'm your boyfriend, right?" Sting nodded, "Then I guess I feel happy" I answered. The blond pouted at this response. It wasn't an upset or angry pout, just a pout that signified he was thinking about my response.

"Okay, let me put this another way" Sting said after a moment, "How do you feel about _me_?" he asked. I frowned now.

"Well, I guess…" I trailed off as I realised where Sting was going with this. _Is it alright to say it now? I guess there'll be no other time later…_ with a deep breath I locked eyes with the blond. "I guess… I love… you" I stated at long last. Sting's eyes gave nothing away for a long minute, before they practically _glowed_ with affection.

"I love you too, Natsu" Sting stated happily. I chuckled.

/

The words hung in the air for what seemed like a long time. _I love you_ …

Sting and I both chuckled for a little while, however eventually we grew quiet. It was only when the silence became unbearable that I finally decided to speak once more. "So, is the reason you couldn't say to Lector because I had never said that I loved you?" I asked the blond, seeking final clarification for my prior inquiry. Sting blushed slightly, but nodded in response to this.

"Uh… yeah" he admitted unsurely. "I mean, I knew that you were my boyfriend and everything, it's just when I thought of saying it right there, I guess I… just got… I don't know, stuck?" he added with a touch of uncertainty to his tone. I smiled soothingly at Sting to try to quell his obvious insecurity.

"It's alright, actually I wanted to say this earlier than now, but… I never found the right time either. Guess that makes me kinda responsible for this" I stated in an apologetic voice, rubbing the back of my head slightly. Sting laughed a little at my actions.

"I suppose it's not a bad thing though, that we've said this… as long as we both mean it" he said, sending me a curious glance. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Of course, I mean it" I said, already guessing what he was thinking, "what'll it take for you to believe me. Do I need to go out and buy a cake with it written on or something?" I sighed exasperatedly, with a slightly overdramatic touch.

Sting laughed again and shook his head. "No, sorry, I believe you" he said, before grinning, "Although, now that you've said that…"

"I'm _not_ buying a cake right now" I interjected, seeing the glint of mischief in the other Dragon Slayer's voice. Sting smiled brightly at this.

"I was only teasing" he defended, before leaning in closer, "Besides, if you went off on your own now, what'd I do with the apartment all to myself" he added in a lewd whisper.

I looked up at Sting from my position leaning on his shoulder. "Oh right, we had _other_ reasons for coming here, didn't we?" I replied coyly. Sting raised an eyebrow.

"You forgot?" he commented. I smiled.

"Maybe… how about you make me _remember_ what it was we were gonna do?" I replied in as luscious a tone as I could manage. This seemed to arouse the other Dragon Slayer, who then let out a slight growl.

"Well I think we were gonna start with this" he stated, before leaning in to capture my lips in his. The kiss was not sweet nor chaste, it was dark, messy, and filled with all the built-up lust we had each accumulated over the last few minutes.

We were interrupted earlier after all, and now we had a whole other reason to go at it full force; our inner Dragons were just dying to prove _how_ much we loved each other, and Sting and I were more than happy to oblige our animalistic souls.

/

Sting pulled me in close as he crushingly kissed me into submission. I put a little playful resistance, however it was futile to think it'd last under such an assault; I give in too easy when I'm horny. "Mmm… Sting…" I moaned, as the White Dragon Slayer began sliding his hands down my exposed muscular front. Initially, my muscles tensed as his fingers ghosted over their surface, however I soon relaxed into sensation, even more so as Sting dominated our kiss, his tongue forcefully invading my mouth.

After a few moments we broke, panting, our lips already swelling a little from the impact of the kiss. Sting smiled with lust in his eyes, the blue orbs dancing with glee as he looked over my body. "Natsu…" he panted. I smiled back at him.

"Yeah?" I muttered, equally as breathless. He smirked.

"I really want to…" he trailed off as he kissed me again, this time pushing me down instead of pulling me in close. It was a different sensation, but welcomed, as I lay down on the sofa, my head leaning against the arm. Sting lay on top of me, his chest pressed to mine as he used one arm to support himself, and the other to continue fondling my abs. After a much shorter time, Sting pulled out of the kiss again, and locked his eyes with my own. "I really want to do you here" he finished. I smirked at his comment.

"So, what's stopping you?" I asked him in response. Sting's smile faltered for a flicker of a second.

"Well… if we do, Rogue'll definitely smell it" he said. I stopped smiling as I remembered that unlike me, Sting lived with someone else, well, someone other than a flying cat.

"Oh, yeah…" I mumbled, a little disappointed that our 'fun' had been ended so quickly by one simple concern. Despite my tone of voice, and the obvious problem at hand, Sting still continued smiling. I shot him a quizzical look, which prompted him to explain himself instantly.

"I really want to do it here; however, we _could_ go to my bedroom, maybe?" he stated with an amused tone of voice, eyebrows raised slightly in invitation. I began smirking again as I heard this.

"Well then, let's go. You want to do this _so_ bad after all" I replied, before slipping in a quick kiss before we got up. Sting let me up quickly, helping me to my feet with a quick tug of his hand. I thanked the blond quietly, as he began to lead me through the apartment, to his bedroom.

A small part of me was intrigued to see the room where Sting slept, however as we entered I didn't have much time, or any time at all really, to look about the place; the White Dragon Slayer was just too eager for us to get on with our activity. "Mphm…" I grunted as I was dragged inside and the roughly shoved against the door by the blond. Before I could lodge any complaint, however, Sting's lips were already pressed to mine, growing heated in the frantic attack before I could put up any resistance. I let Sting kiss me, and even wrapped my hands around his body to pull him closer, prompting the blond to close his eyes and just enjoy the moment. _Sightseeing can wait 'till later_ I reasoned internally, _right now… I just really wanna see what Sting's big plan is and then fuck like rabbits_ I added with a slight smile. Sting must've felt my smile in the kiss as he smiled back, his eyes, which had previously been closed, opened and looked into mine with an intensity that I only got to witness when he was heated, lost in lust and passion. As we pulled apart, the White Dragon Slayer practically grinned.

I maintained my smirk in between shallow breaths. "What's with that grin?" I asked him.

Sting raised his eyes. "Just thinkin' about what I had planned" he stated, before he slid a hand back down the front of my body, casually sliding over my groin, before stopping at my thigh and remaining there.

I chuckled slightly. "Does that mean I'm _finally_ gonna get to learn what your big idea was?" I asked him. Sting laughed and nodded slightly, before moving in close to my ear.

"Yes" he confirmed in a plain tone, before switching to a slightly more wistful one. " _Although that depends on you, and how good you are for this first bit_ " he added in a whisper.

I shivered at the tone he used; it was so subtle, yet so filled with dark temptations that I could not resist. With the closeness of our bodies, Sting did not miss a single moment of the shiver, and chuckled darkly and he massaged the spot he was gripping on my thigh with his fingertips. "Nghn… Sting…" I groaned as an uncomfortable heat rose in my body. Sting maintained the grip for a few more minutes, before finally letting go and instead sliding both arms around my waist. With another sloppy kiss he lifted me up, which surprised me and made me wrap my legs around him for additional support, before moving over toward the bed. I was deposited on the bed with no courtesy, just a little shove down, before the White Dragon Slayer began crawling all over me. "Now Natsu…" Sting said, as he remained above me, kneeling over my waist, "Let's get naked and then… the fun stuff" he emphasised the latter three words with an odd mix of almost childish glee, and very adult lewdness. I smirked at him from my position below.

"Well it'll be hard to do that like this" I stated, thinking more practically than I probably should have been doing in this situation. Sting just smiled and shook his head.

"No, it won't, look" he said, before leaning down, "Start with your waistcoat" as he said this, he began tugging at my loose waistcoat. I helped slide my arms out, before tossing it aside completely. The White Dragon then followed suit, removing his own shirt, before sliding back off me a little and urging me up the bed with his hand to my chest. I follow his unspoken commands, figuring this would get us closer to whatever Sting had planned. Leaning into me on the bed, the blond began sliding his hands down my bare sides, before moving along the front and undoing my belt. As soon as the buckle was loosened, Sting began tugging at the trouser with one hand. I looked at him and smirked, before I began to move and help him pull my trousers down. As I did this, Sting shoved his other hand into my pants, and grabbed my already hard member greedily. "Wha-" I gasped in surprise as I felt the sudden touch to that private area. Sting chuckled darkly.

"Good, it's already hard" he said, before sliding his hand sensuously along the length, eyeing me all the while. I let out another breathy gasp as the White Dragon's thumb glided over the slit, teasing it slightly. "Fuck…" I cursed in pleasure. Sting just kept smiling, as he removed my trousers with his other hand, throwing them aside to be piled near to my waistcoat. I pulled Sting in for a kiss, as I began to repeat the same process on him, removing his trousers in a few deft hand movements. Unlike the heated blond, however, I kept my hands where we could both see them; this was primarily because I knew if I began to touch Sting, then things would end up moving too fast and at least one of us would come before the 'main event' could occur. Once we were both left in our underwear, the blond finally decided to remove his hand from my member, and instead used it to trace the muscles of my abdomen. Breaking off from the kiss, Sting looked over my exposed body. "So sexy…" he breathed.

I grinned. "I know, right?" I mused playfully. Sting laughed back, before he began trailing kisses over my body.

"You wanna know what I've got planed, though, yeah?" he asked me teasingly, as he continued kissing over my pectoral muscles. I nodded weakly.

"Y-yes" I responded a little distractedly, as Sting began to lap at one of my nipples.

"Heh heh… is someone finding it hard to think?" he chuckled. I nodded again, and was greeted with one more laugh. "Well whatever, it's not like you need to speak" Sting said, as he moved back up to my face, "All I wanna hear from you is moans" he added with a wicked smirk.

I locked eyes with the White Dragon, my mind clearing a little without his mouth on my chest. "Hey Sting, you still haven't said what it was your planning" I commented, with a raised eyebrow. Sting responded with an equally measured grin.

"Curious?" he muttered, before shrugging confidently. "It might just be easier to show you" he stated, before moving off of my body for a moment and wandering over to a dresser, before kneeling down to take something out of the bottom drawer. As the blond withdrew back toward the bed, he hid the object he had just retrieved behind his back. All I managed to peak of it, was that it was made of some sort of material. _What's his idea?_ I questioned internally.

"Well, show me" I said, with a hint of impatience in my voice.

Sting shook his head and put on a playful grin. "Nuh uh, guess" he replied in a childish tone. I sighed and rolled my eyes at him, before considering everything I could carefully. Finally, an idea found its way into my mind and left me smiling.

"Well… from what I _could_ see… is it… bondage?" I asked. Sting pouted before grinning bright and laughing.

"Nope. But that would also have been an interesting idea… maybe next time though" he responded amusedly.

I sighed. "Just tell me will ya, I'm too _fired up_ to keep guessing" I said with an annoyed sound. Sting muttered something, before sighing.

"Spoil sport" he stated, before finally leaning in and kissing me quickly. From this new position, I slid my arms down Sting's shoulders to his back, before finally to whatever it was he was concealing in his hands. _A… cloth?_

Sting broke off the kiss as he felt me grip the material he held in his fingers. Pulling away slightly, I released the item and allowed Sting to show me what it was for himself. "My idea _starts_ " Sting began, before showing the black cloth to me "with _this_ blindfold" he finished. I raised my eyebrows.

"Blindfold?" the word sounded odd to my ears, but the possibility intrigued me.

Sting nodded, his scent suddenly unsure after I had questioned it. "Yeah. I heard your other senses get stronger when you can't see. Taste… touch… smell…" the White Dragon Slayer locked eyes with me, searching for some glimmer of a response.

I allowed myself to smile as I watched the unique display of insecurity on Sting's face, before giving my final reply. "Sounds fun, but what's gonna come after that?" I asked. The blond grinned.

"Well… I'd hope both of _us_ would be the ones coming" he chuckled.

I laughed at Sting's joke, before sighing one last time, then pulling in the other Dragon Slayer for kiss. "Just… shut up and get on with it" I mumbled into the blonde's ear. Sting chuckled one last time, before finally giving into the kiss, his tongue lapping at my lip for entrance. As Sting kissed me his hands slid over my body, black cloth blindfold trailing along weakly. Once his fingers began caressing my cheeks, Sting broke off and held the cloth up. "I'm gonna put this on, now" he stated. I nodded.

"Okay" I replied. Sting gave me one last smile as he brought the blindfold up to my eyes. Just before he placed it on over my eyes, however, he paused.

"Just keep thinking about this smile when we do it" he giggled. I laughed back at the blonde's comment.

"Alright" I stated, before trailing a few fingers over Sting's abs. "I think about that smile _and_ these hot muscles" I corrected him. Sting chuckled one more time, before pulling me in for another kiss, this time tying the blindfold securely behind me head. With my eyes seeing nothing but black, I had to use touch to work out what Sting was doing from here on out. Touch, and hearing. As the blindfold was put securely in place, the White Dragon Slayer broke off from our kiss, and moved slightly, the contact that had previously been on my stomach being lifted. "Er… Sting…" I voiced aloud, making sure the blond would tell me what he was doing.

Sting chuckled. "It's okay Natsu, I'm still here. Just… lining up" he said. I frowned more.

"Lining up?" without being able to see I found myself at a loss as to what the other male was doing. Suddenly I felt Sting's hand around my cock once more, my underwear being removed with his other hand. "Oh" I said as realisation hit me. Sting laughed audibly, before giving my burning member a few strokes.

"Yes, I was just gonna see if there really was something to that whole 'it's better when you can't see' theory" Sting stated. Even without being able to see the other Dragon Slayer's face, I knew he was grinning. "Well… did that feel any different?" he asked me. I pouted in thought for a moment, before a slight moan was wrenched from my lips by Sting's hand moving once more.

"It's… good… I mean, it's a surprise each time y-you… stroke it. I can't see it coming" I said in between a few more moans as Sting continued to stroke my cock in a sporadic pattern, ensuring I could not tell when he was going to do it.

"That's… interesting" Sting said, before his voice became more intrigued, "But what about _this_ " he added in a more lewd tone. I barely had time to ask what it was he was going to do before I felt his breath on the tip of my cock, rapidly followed by his hot tongue. "Agh… good…" I moaned as Sting swirled the muscle around the tip. I endured the burst of pleasure for a few moments, before the White Dragon Slayer dipped his head lower, moving down the length of my cock, granting me one long pleasurable wave of heat. I slid my hands down and found Sting's hair. Envisioning the blond colour of the locks between my fingers a great sense of satisfaction filled me, alongside the heat and pleasure. "Sting…" I panted. As I said this the White Dragon Slayer began moving his head further, easily forming a bobbing motion as he moved up and down my cock. I continued moaning as he did this, until at last I neared breaking point. "Sting… gonna come…" I warned the blond, not really expecting him to mind; he was used to sucking me off by now, just like I was used to sucking him off too.

Surprisingly, however, Sting did heed my warning, and instead removed my cock fully from his mouth. I groaned with need and disappointment; nothing was worse than being dragged so close to the edge of orgasm, but not be granted final release. Sting, however, just tutted. "Not yet" he said, "There's still more I wanna do". I sighed.

"But can't I get released first?" I pleaded with the blond, hidden from my view by the blindfold.

Sting chuckled lowly, "Just wait… we've got plenty of time for this. If you come now, it'll make it more boring later" he stated, before I felt him move away from my crotch. Oddly, though, I didn't feel him come any closer to me. _What's he up to?_ I thought to myself.

"Sting?" I voiced in a questioning tone. Sting gave a grunt to respond. "What're you doing?" I asked him. There was no reply for a few moments, and I grew a little concerned. Finally, however, Sting responded.

"Oh, sorry Natsu" Sting's voice played out, in a tone of deep concentration, "I was just readying my magic" he explained. I furrowed my brow, my concern being replaced by confusion.

"Magic?" I asked him. Sting gave a slight murmur, before speaking. _I think he just nodded and then realised I couldn't see_ I guessed from the note of embarrassment that was laid upon the blonde's grumble.

"Yes" Sting confirmed, "It's for what's gonna happen _next_ " he stated. I couldn't let go of my confusion, however I decided to wait and see where the White Dragon Slayer was going with this; especially since he wasn't going to let me come until he had done this.

"Alright" I said in a voice of expectancy. After a few moments, Sting released a loud breath.

"Okay, ready" he said. I could feel his eyes on me as he said this, "Now, stay still Natsu" he added. I frowned once more. _Stay still… what's he gonna do?_ After a moment, a bright light filled the room, permeating even the blackness of the cloth over my eyes. I flinched at the sudden light, however as the flash subsided, I instinctively reached out for Sting. "Sting?" I questioned loudly. The blond gave a chuckle, before I felt his hand touch my outstretch arm, moving back down to my side. "It's done" he said. I narrowed my eyes beneath my blindfold, although this obviously would go unnoticed by the other Dragon Slayer.

"What's done?" I inquired; if the White Dragon Slayer was gonna go throwing spells at me when I couldn't see, I sure as hell wanted to know what he was doing.

Sting gave a dark chuckle. "I made it so we can have fun for as long as we want" he replied. I frowned.

"How?" I asked him. Sting moved back on top of me, his familiar weight over my body, his breath falling on my cheeks as he leaned in close.

"I used my _special_ White Dragon Claw" he stated, as if I'd know what that was.

"Claw? You mean that spell that stops me from moving?" I asked him, my mind flashing with vague memories of the various spells I knew the blond possessed. A swish sound played in front of my face. _He's just nodded again_ I thought.

"Yeah, only this version won't paralyse _all_ of you… just… one part" he stated. I furrowed my brows in thought for a moment, absorbing this information. When I finished, I grinned brightly.

"Well… that's interesting" I said lewdly. Sting laughed.

"Isn't it just" he responded, before his lips began caressing my neck. "Now we can fuck multiple times, and you'll keep hard all the way until I release my spell" he added evilly. I laughed alongside him as I brushed a hand over the back of his head. Sting smiled as he kissed me, before I felt his hand brush up against my cock.

"Now… let's begin" he stated, "I wanna get you to come so many times that you _beg_ me to stop" he finished, before grasping my cock. I didn't deign to give the blond a response to his challenge, as all I could do was moan.

"F-fuck…" I cursed in pleasure.

/

Sting thrust inside of me, his cock slick from lube and previous orgasms. "Agh… Natsu…" the blond moaned, for what must've been the thousandth time already. It wasn't even an hour since the blond had put his paralysis on me, and already we had each come at least three times. Now Sting was re-entering my ass with as much vigour and force as he had used the first time; he was not letting up, not yet.

"Look at me Natsu" he said. I smiled behind my blindfold. Loyally I had kept the material in place all throughout the previous rounds, however I guessed Sting wanted to see me in this last session.

I wrenched the fabric from my face and locked eyes with the blond, just as he gave a particularly rough thrust. "S-Sting…" I panted. Sting smiled and laughed.

"That's better" he stated, before looking over my body. "Now I can see all… all of you" he added. I nodded, as Sting continued to fuck me.

"Hah… ah… Sting" I moaned, as the blond fucked me, my cock still hard despite the cum already covering Sting and my abs, chest, and bed sheets. The blond brushed up against _that_ _perfect_ _place_ and I moaned louder. "G-goood… S-Sting… again… last time" I moaned. By this point I was barely functioning mentally; too many orgasms had already crashed through my body, making my mind nothing more than mush.

Sting grinned. "I know Natsu…" he responded, before aiming for that same place. "But I'm close… I can't last long now" he added with a rapid succession of thrusts that quickly broke down to an inconsistent rhythm. "Fuck… I'm gonna come!" Sting called out as he began moaning. I moaned alongside him.

"Fuck, me too!" I barked, before we each released yet another load. I couldn't believe how much cum each of us had released, it seemed like there shouldn't be possible to carry so much. As stars danced before my eyes, Sting finally flopped down beside me, panting desperately. I looked to him and grinned.

"That was… fucking… f-fucking…" I literally couldn't find a single word to describe how amazing that was. Sting just nodded.

"Yeah, I know" he responded, before glancing over the room. "Although… it's also a fucking _mess_ " he added with a note of pride. I glanced over out naked forms, as well as the well and truly _ruined_ bed sheets. "Ha ha…" I laughed amusedly. Sting looked over at me, before laughing too.

"Well, I guess we can always get new sheets and… shower" he said. I nodded.

"Yeah, but… can we maybe… sleep first" I asked him. Sting nodded, before curling up beside me.

"That's also a good idea" he stated, before leaning in to kiss me one last time before sleeping. It was sloppy and tired, but still great. As Sting broke off, I smiled.

"I'm glad you waited to do this" I said. Sting nodded.

"I'm just glad it worked. I wasn't one hundred percent sure that my White Dragon Claw wouldn't just paralyse all of you" he replied. I hummed contently.

"Well it did. That was fun" I answered, before releasing a wide yawn. Sting caught my yawn and pulled me in close.

"Yes, it was fun. Now sleep already. We're gonna have to go back to the guild later, or Rogue's gonna kill me" the White Dragon Stated. I chuckled, before closing my eyes.

"He'll kill you if he comes here and smells this" I added. Sting groaned.

"I know" he stated, before chuckling, "But I still prefer to have to done it than not" he added his voice becoming increasingly sleepy. I chuckled alongside him before progressively falling asleep.

"I love you" I mumbled to Sting just before the fatigue hit me and I slept off everything we had just done.

"I love you too" he mumbled back, in an equally as sleepy tone.

We didn't wake up for a long while, not until Rogue was practically trying to break down the locked bedroom door to drag Sting back to the guild. He only stopped when Sting pleaded for him not to open the door; who knows how the Shadow Dragon Slayer would've reacted to see the room, and us, in the state we were in.

I just laughed at the blond begging, before we began showering and getting ready to leave. We still had the trap to prepare of course.

/

 **Derelict Building, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

The figure walked up to the seemingly nondescript building, a grin on their face. If the rumours were true then a very valuable jewellery piece should lie somewhere inside, being guarded by a cohort of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth wizards. But, unfortunately, those rumours were false, lies created to lure out opponents of much greater magnitude. Arthur laughed. "Well, it's almost show time. I told them to install traps in all the obvious places, however no doubt that woman, Minerva, has placed them in unsuspecting locations as well" he muttered to himself as he gave a passive look over the once-impressive buildings crumbling façade. From what he could gather, Arthur knew it had once been a grand hotel, that had hosted many important business meetings, and luxurious events, that was until it went out of business three years ago when a certain, Zollzero-linked, hotel company moved into town. The blond Spatial Mage licked his lips and glanced at his watch, awaiting the specific time to begin his supposed 'break in' of this little location. "Not long now" he said to himself. With a final look, up and down the street, the twenty-one-year-old wizard began his task.

First, he entered the building by the front door. No alarm went off, however a single, secret spell, did activate to alert those on the uppermost floor that an 'intruder' had arrived. _So far so good_ …

Arthur then decided to take the direct approach, moving toward the stairwell that would take him all the way up to the top floor, carefully using his magic to teleport around any obvious trip-wire, alarm lacrima, or other such device as he clambered along. Eventually, however, he came to a blockage on the fifth floor. "Hmm… I didn't know that was here" he grumbled, before smirking. With a flick of his wrist a white portal opened before him, which spewed forth a small beam of light that struck the obstruction. The beam sliced through the rubble like a heated knife through butter, before being withdrawn only minutes later. Smiling at the neatness of the perfectly door-shaped hole he had made, Arthur stepped through and then continued his climb.

"This is stupidly easy. If I really were going to break into this place, I'd have no trouble at all" the eldest Zollzero sibling mused, as he reached the seventh, top-most, floor. Looking around his environment, Arthur noted several alarm lacrima that he himself had given to Minerva and Yukino to install. With a grin, he snapped his fingers and conjured up a shimmering red portal in the space in front of him. Stepping into the magical gateway, Arthur instantly closed it behind him, whilst expertly opening another one on the other end of the corridor, putting all the alarms and other traps behind him. "Hm…" he made a satisfactory noise, before turning and looking down the final stretch of corridor before him. "Right on schedule" he confirmed happily, glancing at his watch. "Now I just need to go in, 'steal' the 'treasure' and then leave, all the while keeping an eye out for-" Arthur paused mid-sentence as a great rumble sounded beneath his feet.

"What on Earth Land?" he cursed, looking over towards the door at the other end of the corridor, where he knew Gray, Natsu, Sting and Rogue would be waiting. A moment later a great _crash_ sounded out, quickly followed by angry growls that emanated from the target room. Arthur didn't spare any time to speculate; he knew what would be going on in there.

All he did say was a quick 'Damn' followed by a list of various, assorted curses.

Their foe had arrived early.

 **End of Chapter 21**

 **Chapter Hint; Introductions**


	22. Chapter 22 - Introductions

Chapter 22 – Introductions

 **Hideout, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

We all stood about the somewhat derelict hotel room with a mixture of boredom and anticipation. We knew what was coming, and how important it could be for our guilds, however that still didn't mean we had to enjoy every stage of Arthur's plan. In order to 'sell the illusion' that both Sabertooth and Fairy Tail had been hired to protect this 'artefact' brooch, both Natsu and I, alongside Gray and Rogue, had remained 'posted' in this old hotel building all day. It seemed alright, even fun, initially, however as the hours built up, boredom finally set in and all four of us grew quiet, resigning ourselves to our own minds. A little earlier, Natsu had tried to distract me with suggestions that we should engage in some 'fun' activities in a neighbouring room, however I shot that idea down; I was still a little tired from yesterday, and the importance of our task meant that I couldn't feel entirely comfortable slacking off with something like that. _Not to mention the fact Rogue, and maybe Gray, would probably hear us_ I had added mentally.

I sighed loudly and checked my watch. "Still another twenty minutes before Arthur should arrive" I commented aloud. A grumble of acknowledgement sounded out across the room. Looking around I noticed that Natsu had assumed a position lying on the floor, whilst Gray and Rogue hovered near to each other closer toward the door. A faint flicker of amusement passed over my face as I watched the pair, memories of Natsu's earlier suggestion making me chuckle. "Do you two wanna go somewhere?" I asked the two, raising my eyebrow at them, "Maybe somewhere more _private?_ " I added slyly. Gray frowned at me, whilst Rogue looked annoyed.

"We're not doing anything" the Shadow Dragon stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Gray nodded in support of this.

I smirked before speaking. "Really, then why've you both edged so close to the door, planning on guarding this precious heirloom piece from all the way over there, hmmm?" I inquired sarcastically. Ever since we had been caught in bed yesterday by my black-haired flatmate, the pair of boyfriend-mages had done nothing but poke fun at Natsu and me, teasing us for what we did, even though we had already caught them in a relatively compromising position back in Magnolia.

"It's not like we're _not_ guarding it. However, how are _you_ supposed to be guarding it, Natsu, from there on the floor" Rogue commented, drawing attention to my own boyfriend. I sighed, unfortunately Rogue was right.

Gray gave a slight smirk. "It's not the first time you wouldn't have been ready to protect something, right flame brain?" the Ice Mage laughed. Natsu narrowed his eyes at Gray.

"What ya sayin' popsicle?" he barked in a mildly offended tone of voice.

Gray scoffed. "What I'm saying is, you're a _terrible_ guard. Remember that job to protect that museum piece whilst it was on display, or how about the time you were _supposed_ to be guarding that camp of merchants with me, eh?" Gray stated, earning a slightly annoyed grunt from the Fire Dragon Slayer. I decided to watch with amusement, although I loved Natsu, I found it interesting to hear about at least a few of his shortcomings from time to time. Natsu muttered something inaudible, which made Gray laugh more. "You destroyed the museum, and those merchants ended up being captured by bandits" he stated, finishing the point he had started making. Natsu frowned.

"Yeah, but it didn't matter anyway, I saved them, didn't I?" he retorted, Gray sighed.

"Yeah, but that wasn't what you were _hired_ to do, was it, you stupid pink-haired lizard" he commented in response. Natsu jumped up and glared at the dark-haired Ice Mage, before looking to me for support. I chuckled.

"Hey, don't look at me, pinky" I said to him, earning a confused expression.

"But S _tiiiiiiiing_ " he whined, taking a step closer to me, "You're supposed to be my boyfriend and support me in this" he stated. I rolled my eyes and reached out to pat his shoulder comfortingly.

"Well, I _would_ support ya, but… I kind of agree with Gray in this. Besides, you two shouldn't be arguing anyway, it'd be better if you just at least acted civil, so I'm not gonna help start a fight" I replied, putting on a mature tone of voice. Natsu pouted and folded his arms over sulkily.

I noticed Rogue smirk over at me. "At least we don't fight like this" he stated. I nodded.

"And that's why we're the best team in all of Fiore" I responded. Gray raised an eyebrow at this and shook his head.

"I may not get on with Natsu, but there's _no_ way you two can think you're better than us in a two-on-two fight" he stated. Natsu looked over to Gray at hearing this, before looking back to me, a grin on his face.

"Hmmm…" he muttered in an interested manner.

I gave a wide-mouthed look of surprise at Gray's insinuation. "You're challenging _the_ Twin Dragons, there's a reason we have that name you know. We _are_ the best team in Fiore" I barked at Gray. The Ice Mage raised his eyebrows and looked to Rogue, obviously seeking his opinion. The Shadow Dragon Slayer just shrugged his shoulders.

"Sting's right, we do have a lot of practice working together… whilst you and Natsu…" he trailed off, leaving the obvious unsaid. Gray huffed.

"You're taking Sting's side in this over _mine_?!" he barked annoyedly, before pacing over to where Natsu was. The pinkette looked to Gray with an expression of relative understanding.

"I know, it's annoying isn't it. You can see why everyone thinks they're a couple. They take each other's side in _everything_ " Natsu mused, before shooting me a wicked glance.

I scowled back at him. "What are you saying Natsu, you want me to abandon my friendship with Rogue or something?" I asked the pinkette. Natsu shrugged.

"No, I was just making an observation" he stated, before looking between Rogue and me. He then wore a bright grin as he asked his next question. "Just out of interest though, have you two ever… you know… tried to get together? I mean you're both gay… and well…" he let the question hang in the air. I gave a face of shock at Natsu's, and looked to Gray to see how he felt about Natsu asking such a thing. The Ice Mage, however, just smiled.

"I have been wondering the same thing" he stated, looking over to Rogue. The Shadow Dragon Slayer looked to me for a moment, before rolling his eyes.

"No, we haven't done anything like that" he said. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I mean… well, we _have_ been to dinner before, but that was just when we needed to eat, and Rogue couldn't be bothered to cook" I added on. Gray and Natsu looked to me with surprise as I mentioned this. _Oh crap… that sounded like we dated, doesn't it?_ I cursed internally, as I saw their expressions. Natsu frowned at me for a second, before cocking his head to the side.

"Sting, what's that glowing in your pocket?" he asked me a little distractedly. I almost burst out with an explanation for what I had just said, before my mind caught up and processed Natsu's question.

Looking down at my own trousers I noticed a slight red light, and fished into my pocket to find the source. Closing my fingers around it, I pulled out small lacrima. I took a moment to remember what this meant, before I checked my watch. "Oh, right… that means Arthur's tripped one of the alarm-traps Minerva put in place. It's time" I stated, before turning off the lacrima and replacing it in my pocket.

Once I was finished with that, I looked back to Natsu and Gray, who still stood grinning. "Anyways… what were we talking about?" I asked, hoping that they had already forgotten about the embarrassing confession I had just made. Gray, however grinned.

Then the explosion happened.

/

 **Hideout Top Floor, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Arthur ran along the length of the corridor, ignoring the remaining alarm lacrima, jumping over the two too-obvious trip wires, before stopping with his back against the wall on one side of the door to the target room. The blond thief-wizard took a breath to calm himself. _No need to panic, this is just… an interesting change of pace_ he thought to himself; _Instead of tricking them during my retreat outside, we're going to have to face them down in here. I suppose I should be thankful that this makes the job easier_ he smirked, before righting his shirt collar, and suit jacket. Then with a final nod, the Zollzero Mage conjured up his magic and teleported to the other side of the door. _May as well at least_ look _like I attempted to covertly enter the place_ he thought.

The inside of the room was a complete mess. What had originally been a spacious function room, with large table and numerous chairs all coated in dust, was now a battle-torn scar of its former self, and in the centre of it all stood a vast, cavernous hole that seemed to reach all the way down to the ground floor. "What the hell happened in here?!" Arthur barked as he saw the state of the place. Looking to his right, the blond wizard immediately noted the huddled group of three Dragon Slayers and one Maker Mage. They all nodded to him in recognition, before fixing their eyes toward the hole.

"Guess you missed the party" Sting commented upon noting the Spatial Mage's presence. Arthur frowned, before a wicked laugh sounded out around the room.

"The guest of honour has finally arrived" a voice called out from the darkness of the hole. Arthur gave a muttered curse, before calling on his magic in preparation for any possible attack that could come.

"Who are you? Or rather would you prefer I ask, to which member of the Blade Troupe am I speaking?" Arthur called out in a flat, level tone of voice that left no emotion in his words. The laugh sounded out again, before it was joined by several others. Hearing the cacophony, Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Surely not… _all_ of you?" he mumbled in a barely audible tone. Natsu, Sting and the others all looked to Arthur with intrigue, their minds already having gone passed shock or surprise at the sudden explosion only a moment ago and instead had become more interested in knowing exactly what, or who, their opponent was.

The laughing chorus remained for about a minute, before five figures leapt up from the hole and landed perfectly in a line around its rim. Arthur analysed the five faces with a frown, before cursing under his breath. "So, it _is_ all of you" he stated unwelcomely. Sting and the others saw the figures and each of them took a slight inhaled breath.

The group before them was not a particularly imposing bunch, not one of them screamed 'dangerous', however they all had a bladed weapon of some sort visible on their person. Natsu and Sting's eyes both locked onto the same individual simultaneously; the leader of the group. "You!" they barked in unison, before taking a step forward, drawing level with Arthur. The leader smirked at the duo, before giving a slightly exaggerated bow.

"Why, hello again my dear puppets. I hope you are faring well" the black-haired man said. Arthur looked at the pair of Dragon Slayers for a moment, holding out his hands to stop either of them from making a foolish move. The Zollzero wizard was already aware of the Blade Troupe's leader's actions at Hargeon, as well as his capture of, and subsequent escape from, the Fire and White Dragon Slayers. "Keep calm, you two. One wrong move and you'll end up in two, rather equal, halves" Arthur said, verbalising this warning. Natsu and Sting both looked to Arthur, before steeling their gazes and returning them back toward the five opponents. Their eyes did remain somewhat fixated on the black-haired leader, who wore only a deep navy shirt, black trousers and shoes, along with the ever-present rapier-like blade slotted into a loop at his hip. Arthur silently thanked that the Dragon Slayers did not argue back. _At least they recognise the danger here… we're in an enclosed space with five sword masters. And we can't even allow ourselves to be so much as_ scratched _or else…_ Arthur didn't even bother to finish his train of thought, as the black-haired sabre wielder stepped forward a little.

"Right, now that we have at least revealed ourselves, perhaps you would like to explain why you went to such lengths to lure us out, eh… _Arthur Zollzero_ " the man spat the name like it was poison.

Arthur narrowed his gaze as he heard the other man speak. "You would ask me something like that? Surely you do it in jest? No?" the black-haired man gave no response to Arthur's comments, which made the Zollzero give a mock look of insult. "So, you are going to deny the threat you place upon the Zollzero businesses, and on these guilds behind me?" he tried a slightly different tactic to get the Troupe to speak. This was more successful, as two of the other members, a burly man with a greatsword strapped to his back, and the same red-haired man that had been present in Magnolia, each smiled.

The leader looked at these two members for a moment, before smiling also. "Well… perhaps we wouldn't deny that we have placed a few _thorns_ into the Zollzero family's side, as well as a few stones onto _your sibling's_ paths" he said in a sly tone. Arthur snorted derisively.

"A few stones in perhaps putting it lightly. Taking a small subsection of the population of Magnolia Town and turning them into a mob to be sent against us is…a rather large boulder to be put in our path, annoyingly" Arthur commented. The black-haired man smiled at the slight compliment to their strategy. Arthur used this to his advantage. "But then again… it was foiled before it really begun. And of course, now I've managed to force all of you into a nice straight-up fight with no hostages. An ideal opportunity" Arthur grinned. The Troupe leader's smile did not waver for a second. His burliest companion, however, fell for the taunt and took a step forward, growling.

Arthur took that to mean he had won their exchange of words. The black-haired man held up his hand to stop his companion, before glancing about the room. "You say that your trap is ideal, yet if I were to compare it to your brother Edric's, I would say his was _far_ more sophisticated, with a greater chance of success" the leader commented. This comment earned a smirk of approval from the other members of the Troupe, especially the red-head.

Arthur did not lose momentum. "Likewise, though, if I were to say… compare your schemes to hire thugs to undermine Zollzero businesses with your little plan in Magnolia, I could easily say that the latter was much _too_ complicated and with numerous risks and holes that could easily be exploited" Arthur countered. The black-haired leader shrugged.

"Some great plans are prone to such weaknesses" he stated, before looking over Arthur's shoulder towards Gray and Rogue behind, who had each assumed a position nearer the door to cut off at least one escape route. "However, enough about plans and schemes. I think now is as good a time as any to introduce ourselves, since I'm sure you Zollzero's will not have even bothered to tell these guild wizards our names" the leader added with a more pleasant smile. Arthur frowned, before shrugging, waving his hand dismissively.

"Go ahead, knowing your name will not stop these guys from beating your head in" he stated glibly, gesturing to Natsu and Sting at either side of him. "You've already earned their contempt" he added.

The leader smirked. "Well, I suppose that is true" he agreed with a nod, before directing his gaze towards the other four Mages present. "However, just for formalities sake, we stand before you as the group known as the Blade Troupe. I am their leader, the one known as the brains of this operation, Hugo" he bowed graciously.

Next to Hugo, the burly member grunted and folded his arms over his bare chest. Unlike his well-dressed comrade/leader, this brute wore only an open-fronted, sleeveless leather jacket as well as leather trousers and big heavy boots. His heavy-set eyes were bloodshot, whilst his bushy eyebrows and longer mane of silvery hair made him look like some half-wild animal. "I'm Argent" he said in a blunt, aggressive tone. Natsu immediately began eyeing him up; he was always quick to accept any perceived challenge or tackle any threat. Sting smirked slightly noticing his boyfriend's anticipation.

After the greatsword wielder, the red-head spoke next. "I'm Caspian, and of course, we have met before, when you so ruined my fun in Magnolia" he stated, before flicking his head back and running a hand through his auburn-red hair, pink eyes analysing each person intentally as his gaze swept around the room. Caspian wore a deep blue cloak around his body, the same cloak he had worn when he had been found at the bar back at Magnolia, this time with the hood down. As he moved small flashes of blue showed that he wore some sort of waistcoat and white pants beneath the fabric cloak. Sting narrowed his eyes at the red-head; something about his attitude really annoyed the White Dragon Slayer, although he could not place what it was. _He's dangerous though… the way he looks at you is like he's trying to read your thoughts or something_ Sting thought to himself. Caspian grinned, before looking over to another of their companions, a shorter man with wild, brown hair and a small dagger in a sheath at his side. "Not going to introduce yourself? I would've thought you'd be dying to bark out at these _weaklings_ " Caspian commented with a wicked grin.

The dagger-wielder shrugged, before smirking. "Just leaving some of the best for last" he stated, voice edged with a slight aura of superiority. _This guy's definitely the strongest_ Natsu thought as he heard the younger man speak. "Anyways, worms like you lot should bow down before me. The name's Andor, but knowing that doesn't mean anything since you're all gonna be dead soon" he stated. Andor appeared to be the youngest in the group, about the same age as Sting, and whilst his tone was confident, his eyes seemed like they were trying to size up each person to figure out who was the strongest potential opponent. Arthur glowered at the teenage Troupe member, who just smirked, before brushing imaginary dirt off of his grey vest. Aside from his age, other things about Andor seemed similar to Sting, including his choice of clothing. The teens wore a grey vest that only just about reached his mid-section, leaving his own muscular abdomen exposed, along with red fur outlining the openings for the arms. Unlike Sting's vest, however, Andor's was closed at the front, and he also did not wear suspenders. He also wore black shorts and grey-and-red trainers. Rogue was vaguely amused by the similarities between the Sabertooth Guildmaster and the younger wizard.

Finally, the last remaining member of the troupe spoke; another brunette, this time wielding a longsword-like blade. "My name is Vance" the man said, "I am the final member of our troupe, and wielder of this longsword. Your names are unimportant to me, although I already know you each individually" he added with a flat tone of voice. Gray narrowed his eyes at the last member; his blunted speech, and tone reminded him of Lyon somewhat, although perhaps his fellow Ice Mage was a little more pleasant. Vance glanced around the group momentarily, before placing a hand on the sword at his hip. "Should we not proceed on to the next part?" he asked, directing this toward their leader, now known as Hugo.

Hugo smiled at his comrade, before shrugging. "In due course. Now… where were we?" he turned his head to meet Arthur's stony gaze.

"I believe you were going to reveal your plans to me, then we were going to capture and subsequently deal with you all. Perhaps permanently" Arthur commented in a frost-laden voice. Hugo shook his head.

"Ah yes, I remember now" he mused, before giving a slightly hollow laugh. "Anyways, threat aside, as far as our plans go, we hope for what we always do" Hugo commented with an arched eyebrow, earning a scowl from Arthur.

Sting took the initiative to speak up. "And that is?" he questioned the black-haired rapier-wielder.

Hugo gave another laugh, more real this time though. "Why, the destruction of the current Zollzero family, their business, and their entire syndicate, not to mention the murder of that damnable father of yours, Arthur" Hugo stated in an impassioned voice. Sting looked between Arthur and Hugo for a moment, before frowning.

"So why target us, or our guilds… or even the townsfolk, they have nothing to do with your petty feud?" the blond asked the Troupe leader, eyes confused but only loosely veiling the anger and contempt he felt towards both Hugo, and his group as a whole. Methods aside, Sting still couldn't help but hate the man for what he had made Natsu and himself go through.

Hugo smirked at the question, before looking between Sting and Natsu. "You mean, how long have I been using pawns like you or your little boyfriend there?" Hugo corrected Sting, who growled. Natsu narrowed his eyes and Sting noticed the pinkette's legs tense, ready to pounce. The action did not go unnoticed by the Blade Troupe or Arthur either. "Well… perhaps fourteen years, since the war started" Hugo answered at last, giving Sting a little smirk.

Natsu growled loudly at the insinuation. "You mean you've been making people suffer for _all that time_!" he barked at the Troupe, before taking an angry step forward. Arthur moved his hand up to stop Natsu once again, however the Fire Dragon Slayer was a hard beast to pacify. "Stay calm" Sting and Arthur said to Natsu in unison. A chuckle sounded out as both wizards acted to stop their ally.

"Well, looks like were not the only group with a wild animal, eh, Argie?" Caspian commented in an amused tone. The burly guy beside the red-head just grunted, ignoring the fact he was also being called a wild animal. The red-headed figure grinned brightly. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, after seeing him fight those mobs I put in their way in Magnolia" Caspian reasoned with a disseminating shrug.

Natsu maintained eye-contact with the black-haired leader for a few long moments, before finally sighing and relaxing, a little at least. "Hmph… I _will_ punch that face in one day" he stated, "And I'm gonna turn that sword into a pile of ashes whilst I'm at it" he added smugly.

Hugo just raised an amused eyebrow. "Hmm… well, that'll be an interesting day" he stated, before finally returning his attention to Arthur. The Spatial Mage smiled brightly.

"It could be today, you know" Arthur said, earning another laugh from the whole Troupe.

Hugo shrugged. "Well, that all depends on how this goes, doesn't it. How is your arm by the way, Natsu Dragneel?" the black-haired man smiled. Natsu frowned for a moment at the question, looking over his arms, before his mind dredge up the appropriate memory; the miniscule cut beneath his guild mark. Smirking, Natsu looked back at Hugo. "It's already healed, so much for your 'curse', hah!" he responded.

Hugo chuckled. "The curse remains longer than the cut, boy" he replied. Natsu narrowed his eyes at the man once again, however he was not as angry as a moment ago, and so did not tense up. Seeing that they wouldn't have to be worrying over a rabid Fire Dragon at that minute, Rogue took the opportunity to ask the question that had just struck him.

"What is this about curses? Do they have some special magical power, or are they demons like those Tartaros members?" the Shadow Dragon Slayer spoke up from the wizards back-line. Arthur glanced over his shoulder, to answer the question.

"It's not that they have any particular magic, however their swords are a different matter. This group before us each uses a special magic-infused blade that will impart a long-lasting 'curse' of sorts when it cuts or even barely grazes you" Arthur explained hurriedly. Hugo scoffed at the description.

"It's a little more than a simple 'curse', or blades are the ultimate weapons in close combat, and you know it" Hugo declared, to a mutter of agreement from his cohort. Rogue and Gray both looked to each other as they absorbed this information.

"So… Natsu's been cut before?" Gray asked, looking to his pink-haired guildmate. Natsu didn't look back to meet the Ice Mage's gaze, although he knew it was on him.

Sting, on the other hand, did. "It was a little while ago, when we went on that beach job. It shouldn't cause an issue now, I mean… you can resist the control, right Natsu?" Sting looked to the pinkette too as he suddenly realised the slight wariness that was becoming more evident on both Rogue and Gray's faces. Natsu smiled confidently, before nodding.

"Right, no stupid curse is gonna get to _me_!" he declared. Hugo frowned at the pinkette's show of bravado.

"We will see, Dragon Slayer" he responded, before Arthur decided to interject; the Spatial Mage hoped that Natsu's declaration would've shaken their black-haired opponent enough to throw them off balance.

"So, you see Hugo, we are not bothered by your powers" he stated, earning the Troupe leader's attention once again. Hugo shook his head, but said nothing, instantly recognising the trap in Arthur's words; the trap that would get him to admit the weakness of his own abilities. Arthur sighed, before shrugging, aware that his ploy had failed. Instead of following through with his last statement, the blond Zollzero attempted a different tactic. This talk was becoming tedious, however as all he was doing now was stalling for long enough for the secret spell had been weaving to take effect, he would try to keep it going for as long as possible. "Regardless… I am lead to wonder if the lies I spread yesterday were ever believed by you, even for a second?" he mused. Hugo chuckled, before shaking his head.

"Do you really think you could fool the Blade Troupe with such a simple trick?" he asked, rhetorically. Arthur smiled and replied all the same.

"Well, technically at least Caspian there fell for the same technique when Edric and Medea spread rumours in Magnolia about their presence in that bar" Arthur retorted. Caspian sputtered at the comment, however Hugo raised his hand to silence his comrade.

"I suppose that's true" he agreed, sending a slightly withering glare towards the red-head, who immediately shrank back. "However," Hugo returned his attention to Arthur, "He has learned from his mistake, and all of our _remaining_ members will remember never to believe a lie spread by you or one of _your_ _siblings_ " Hugo stated, a little venom edging into his words.

The red-headed scimitar user smirked beside his leader. "Your lie wasn't all that convincing either, certainly not as much as Edric's, I mean… what are the chances that another Zollzero would just so happen to be in the same town that we were, so soon after I was chased out of Magnolia, hmmmm?" he commented cockily. Hugo nodded, earning a look of contempt from Arthur.

"Well, say what you like but I still managed to get what I wanted in you coming here" Arthur replied, before cocking his head, as if listening for something. The blond-haired male then smiled. Hugo immediately frowned upon seeing Arthur's grin.

"What are you smiling for?" he asked in a more up-front tone. Arthur chuckled, before looking around at Sting, Natsu, Gray and Rogue.

"Nothing much, save the sound of our victory" Arthur replied. Hugo furrowed his brow for a moment, before glancing around the room.

"You've used some damnable power to trap us here?" the black-haired rapier-wielder commented. Arthur nodded in response, earning a muttered curse from the other man. "Well, I suppose should have factored this into _our_ plan. Damn it!" Hugo barked, before looking around to his compatriots, as if deciding what to do.

Sting took the moment of distraction to lean in close to Arthur. "What exactly did you do?" the White Dragon Slayer asked the other blond. Arthur shot Sting a confident grin.

"I used Territory to slowly form a bubble around this whole building, trapping them in here with us" Arthur explained. Sting pouted for a moment, before smiling.

"Minerva uses a similar skill when trying to prevent people we've been hired to capture from escaping too" the blond stated, before frowning again "But doesn't that take a _lot_ of time to prepare?" he asked. Arthur's smile faded for a moment.

"Well… yes, usually. My Territory Lock wasn't going to be finished in time, however I just heard some noise downstairs, it seems Minerva and Yukino have moved into another position after realising our issue, and finished off the lock for me, thereby speeding the process up" Arthur answered. Sting beamed with pride at hearing these words.

"Well, that's m'lady for you" he responded, before sending his eye over to Natsu. The pinkette seemed to have been listening as well, since he now wore his own signature smile, this time tinged with confidence along with eagerness for the fight to come. Gray and Rogue both just listened silently from behind, each acutely aware of the likelihood that their own guildmate may jump out to attack at any provocation; they both knew their respective partners well enough to expect some sudden attack, but were also happy to hear that their opponents escape was cut off. As Arthur returned his gaze over to the Blade Troupe, the five weapon users all smiled.

Then Hugo stepped forward once more. "It pains me that you have managed to lay such an annoying, full proof trap, however… I would have been lying if I said it _didn't_ occur to me to prepare my own counter measure for such an issue" Hugo grinned. Arthur's face immediately went slack with the confidence in their opponent's tone.

"There can't be… there's no way you've put some kind of plan in place to escape this. So long as you're within my Territory Magic, I control all the aspects of space here. If I wanted I could make everything appear bright pink with polka dots… I can sap the magic from those blades and stop you from using your powers" Arthur mumbled, earning a chuckle of amusement from Hugo. The Blade Troupe leader then shrugged.

"That's true" he commented, before raising an eyebrow, "However this is not just _your_ Territory is it, you damnable Zollzero?" Hugo continued. Suddenly it struck Arthur what the Troupe's plan was, and he groaned angrily. A moment later the five enemies all disappeared in a rapidly disappearing bubble of Territory Magic. Sting and the other's looked on at the sight, confusion clear in all their minds, whilst Arthur stomped his foot so hard the old wooden plank beneath him gave way, and he had to sidestep in order to avoid falling into another hole made in the floor.

The Blade Troupe had escaped.

/

Yukino woke, bound tight with rope, but otherwise unharmed, upon the steps of the derelict hotel's stairwell. She saw no other figures around her, save the only other person she had arrived there with; Minerva. "What on Earthland?" she muttered with a slight hint of surprise. "Minerva?"

The Spatial Mage remained quiet, looking out towards the doorway, as if concentrating greatly upon something. Yukino sensed a great amount of magical energy flooding the area around her, all seemingly emanating from her fellow guildmate. "Minerva?" she repeated, trying to garner the other wizard's attention. There was no reply. _What is with her, I thought we came here to finish off the Territory spell she sensed being cast on the building?_ Yukino tried to piece together what happened, however her memory was still fuzzy; she could not remember anything after first entering the building.

Suddenly, a shimmering red portal opened up in the space to the right of the silent Sabertooth Spatial Mage. Yukino had to shield her eyes from the bright light that emanated from the space, however through her half-lidded eyes she saw two people emerge, both of which were easily recognised by her. "Sting, Natsu" she called out.

Immediately, Minerva moved, jerking down as one of the figures leapt upon her, bright white light crashing into her side as a softened blow struck at her. The Territory wizard did not even cry out. The other figure ran towards her, pink hair covered in dust, but otherwise as messy and unruly as always. "You okay?" Natsu asked Yukino in a blunt tone, mind clearly preoccupied with other things. Yukino nodded.

"Yes, but… what happened? We came here because Minerva sensed Territory Magic and we assumed it was Arthur, then… I woke up like this. Why is Sting attacking her?" the Celestial wizard's mind rocked with questions, however Natsu did not have time to answer her.

"Well, stuff happened. A lot of stuff. We'll tell you in a minute, just help us wake Minerva up first" the pinkette stated, before helping Yukino to her feet. The white-haired woman nodded, from Natsu's tone she could tell that whatever they were doing was necessary; plus, Yukino could tell something was wrong with Minerva anyways, due to the other woman's strange behaviour and quiet demeanour.

"Alright" she said to the Fire Dragon Slayer, before coming up to the unconscious Minerva's side. Sting knelt beside the Spatial Mage, his eyes looking up to meet Yukino's as the woman approached. "Sting, what's going on?" she asked him. Sting gave a serious look, one rarely seen by his guildmate's except in the direst of circumstances.

"Minerva helped the enemy escape, we need to wake her up in order to figure out where they've gone. Arthur, Rogue and Gray have already headed out. Arthur's trying to see if there's any residual trace of energy he can follow, whilst Rogue's trying to track the scent" Sting informed Yukino as he hoisted Minerva up so her head was resting on his knee. Natsu remained standing, in case any of their opponents remained within the building and would try to attack them. Yukino knelt on the other side of Minerva, looking into the slack-but-beautiful face. She noted the slight glow of a stigmata, and realised that Minerva was being prevented from moving by Sting's power.

"If we need to wake her up, we could try using water by summoning Pisces" Yukino suggested, already grasping the situation at hand rather well, despite having been unconscious only moments earlier. Sting looked to her and nodded.

"Alright, but summon them outside, they're so big that it'd probably bring this whole place crashing down otherwise" the White Dragon Slayer smirked. Yukino nodded, a slight smile touching her own features at Sting's upbeat nature, despite the situation at hand.

A few moments later, and one hell of a racket outside, Yukino returned with Pisces, in human form, trailing behind her. "Alright, stand back" the female 'mother' Celestial Spirit stated upon entering. Yukino and the others stood a little way away from Minerva, alongside the 'son' Spirit. "Don't forget, we're not trying to hurt her" Yukino said just before the Spirit used her power. Mother Pisces nodded.

"I know" she said, before holding out her hand. Calling upon her magical power, the Zodiac Fish-Spirit conjured up a foot-ball sized sphere of icy cold water, before carefully making it float above Minerva's head. "And now…" she let the ball go, allowing it fall downwards and over Minerva. The Territory Mage shot awake with a start. Sting immediately removed the stigmata he had placed upon her so she could sit up.

"Who the-" she began, before catching herself, looking around confusedly. Minerva's eyes locked with Sting's, before furrowing her brow. "What happened?" she asked instantly.

Sting smiled. "Welcome back" he stated, before rubbing the back of his head, "Although… there's a lot we need to discuss, let's go back to the guild" he added after a moment.

Minerva continued frowning, but got up nonetheless, adhering to Sting's request. Yukino thanked Pisces for their assistance, before the group left for the guild to rendezvous with Arthur.

After all their trouble, they had gained nothing from their venture, and worse, still had a debt to be paid since they had failed in their mission to capture one of the Blade Troupe.

 _A complete and utter failure…_ Sting thought bitterly.

/

It was an hour later before Arthur and the others returned to the guild with defeated looks on their faces. In order to avoid anyone asking odd questions, the blond Zollzero wizard used his powers to create a portal straight to Sting's office. Sting was already slumped in a chair, Natsu hovering nearby. The defeated look on the White Dragon's face was annoying the pinkette, however with Minerva and Yukino there, he knew he could not act on his impulses and try to make Sting feel better. "Well… that was a waste of time" Arthur commented upon entering, Rogue and Gray each looked as worn out as Arthur, they had been chasing any lead they could find; however, it was all for nought.

"We looked over everywhere in town I could think of, however they've completely vanished" Rogue stated, as he slumped against the wall. Sting sighed and looked to his partner sympathetically.

"It's alright, I know you did everything you could. To be honest, once they escaped I kinda figured that they wouldn't be easily traced" Sting commented. Arthur nodded, however this did not lighten the mood at all.

"Yes, I suspected as much too. This was all pre-planned by them" he said, moving over to a position in the centre of the room so he could speak to each and every person with ease.

"I've been trying to remember when they managed to cut me, if that is how they control people, however I just don't know. Nothing comes to mind" Minerva stated with an annoyed tone of voice. Arthur nodded, before holding his chin in a thinking pose.

"Since it affected you so much, it's likely they didn't do multiple cuts, but rather _combined_ two of their powers. I assume you were unconscious, yes?" he directed this inquiry toward Sting and Natsu, who both nodded.

"Yeah, like at Magnolia" Sting replied. Arthur nodded once more.

"As I suspected. I believe, what they have done is cut you three times whilst you were asleep. First with Hugo's rapier, in order to implant the command for you to fall asleep, then with Caspian's scimitar to control you whilst asleep, and finally with Andor's knife" Arthur hypothesised. Sting raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"What's that guy's power, he seemed really confident and there were _definitely_ some strong traces of power on his scent" Sting commented. The blond shrugged.

"He can control perception, that is your ability to see, smell, hear, talk, and touch. He can't control all of them at once, but can control them in tandem if he has cut you multiple times. My guess was that they used his power to prevent Minerva from being able to _see_ the cuts they implanted on her so she wouldn't notice them, whilst making sure the cuts wouldn't be noticeable to others either. That way, once they healed the secrecy of what they did would be maintained" Arthur explained. Sting frowned upon hearing this.

"So, could they have done that to other people in Sabertooth?" he asked. Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"Or Fairy Tail?" he added on. Arthur frowned, before shrugging once more.

"I can't be sure, however since they had Minerva tie Yukino up and knock her out, I'm guessing that they've only done it to a handful of people at most" Arthur stated. Natsu growled instantly at this.

"So, why haven't they done it to me and Sting, since they've seen us and they know we're after them?" he barked.

Arthur pouted, before smiling. "It'd probably be really hard to sneak up on a Dragon Slayer even when asleep, because of your acute senses… or at least they probably think so. Also, since they've already cut you once Natsu, it's likely Hugo doesn't want to waste time cutting you again, since conflicting commands given by his curse would cancel each other out" Arthur reasoned. Sting smirked upon hearing this. _They don't know how hard it is to wake Natsu up…_ he thought with vague amusement, before seriousness settled into his mind once more.

"What about the debt then, I take it we still have to pay in full" Sting asked Arthur. The blond Zollzero wizard folded his arms, before narrowing his eyes at Sting.

"I was aware of what Edric said, however it is unlikely I could allow your guilds to go without paying _without_ any captives" Arthur began, before smiling slightly, "However as this was outside of your control, and since it was not by your failure, but the failure of my plan, that this all occurred, I am willing to leverage a small amount off of the total" Arthur stated, "With my authority as a Zollzero of course."

Sting smiled at hearing this, before looking around at the group. Although the sting of defeat still hit everyone there hard, having that slight benefit was a good morale boost. "Okay, we can discuss the debt later to iron out details" he beamed. _Well, we may not have wiggled our way out of the whole sum, but at least some of it has been levied_ he reasoned internally.

Arthur smiled alongside Sting. "That's fine with me, all I want now is a stiff drink and a lie down. Using my magic all 'round town really drained me, not to mention casting that Territory Lock" he chuckled.

Sting nodded. "That can be arranged. We'll all have a drink, right?" he looked around. Natsu, Gray, and Rogue all nodded, although the two ladies seemed more reluctant. Minerva smiled.

"I think I'd rather cook my stress away" she commented. Sting almost cheered.

"Well that's even better" he stated happily.

If one thing was able to lift Sting's spirits it was the deliciousness of Minerva's cooking.

Well, that, and fucking around with Natsu.

 _But we can get to that later_ Sting smirked to himself, whilst eyeing up his boyfriend walking beside him discretely. Natsu noticed the look, and gave his own hooded wink in return.

/

On the outskirts of town, five figures crowded around, their eyes all glinting with mischief. "Well, we didn't manage to finish up our plan here" Andor commented. Vance sighed.

"And it was so close to completion. Did you think it was worth it to reveal ourselves to Arthur and his group, Hugo?" the longsword-wielder asked their black-haired leader. The rapier-wielder smirked, before shrugging his shoulders.

"Although I don't think coming back to our two little leaders without captives for a _second_ time will go down well" Caspian mumbled, voice edged with a little fear; as he had also failed in his previous scheme, he was right to share in Hugo's worry. The black-haired male still smiled all the same, despite the comments.

"It will be fine, this all falls within the predictions I forwarded to the Young Masters" he replied, before looking over toward Argent and Andor. "And since it's come to this, we'll be moving on with Plan D, understand you two?" he narrowed his gaze at the pair. Argent nodded regimentally, however Andor pouted.

"I could probably capture them single-handedly, if I wanted" the youngest member's voice stung of injured pride and somewhat well-founded confidence.

Hugo's smile dropped at the childish comment. "You _will not_ do anything to compromise this, our rightful return is almost at hand, and with only a few more weeks of preparation. _I will not let you bring ruin to our decade of planning and careful manipulation_ " the black-haired leader's tone turned cold and venomous, his gaze becoming hard and dangerous. None of the Troupe members moved a muscle, not one even took a breath, less the careful façade their leader put up shattered and his true, deadly, personality was unleased upon them.

Andor then hung his head in defeat, and with a heavy sigh uttered a barely audible apology. Hugo took one last long glare at the child, before a smile returned to his features. "Right, let's get going. I need to discuss matters with the twins about our next move. For now, let's all keep a low profile" Hugo stated, before looking around the group.

They all nodded, shaking slightly from the lingering dread left over from Hugo's sudden transformation.

Not one of them had ever seen the black-haired man get _truly_ angry, however they had heard the stories, and they knew that from his sudden, violent reaction, their time was coming close at hand. Even Andor, impatient and childish as he was, decided it was better to wait the short while that remained, rather than to make a move on his own and risk incurring Hugo's wrath.

After all, they had formed their group for one reason; to completely and utterly overthrow the Zollzero family, and the finally complete their own grand revenge.

 _Soon, very soon…_ Hugo smirked to himself as he began the long trek back to the designated rendezvous point.

 _Soon, we can prove our Master wrong… and then everything will be as it should… soon…_

 **End of Chapter 22**

 **Chapter Hint; Parting**


	23. Chapter 23 - Parting

**Chapter 23 – Parting**

 **Sabertooth Guildhall, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

Sting fell off his chair, laughter rolling from his throat as he looked from Gray to me and back again. "You mean…" he said in between gasps of air, "You two ended… up wrecking that conference r… room just because you could… couldn't agree on who's stronger… me or… Rogue" Sting giggled childishly. I pouted and folded my arms as I glared at the blond.

"It's not that funny…" I grumbled, before sending a small glare toward the Ice Mage beside me. Gray noted this glance, however he maintained his silence. It had been three days since our failure to capture even a single Blade Troupe member, and whilst Arthur had already departed to make his next move, Gray and I had remained to 'make sure everything was okay'. In reality, we were just spending the majority of our time with our respective boyfriends, however as Rogue and Sting held much loftier positions in their own guild than Gray and I did in Fairy Tail, we would sometimes be left to our own devices whilst Sting and Rogue dealt with guild matters. Normally, it would bother me to spend time with the Ice Mage, and admittedly we had often come to blows in these times together, however it was also somewhat fun to have someone with which I could discuss relationship stuff with, who would also understand my point of view. Today had been another day when Gray and I had begrudging opted to spend time together, and despite our usual antics we had found ourselves somewhat enjoying the time, discussing some aspects of our relationships. Unfortunately, once we began comparing our boyfriends' strength, a _small_ argument arose that may have resulted in the destruction of _one_ of the Sabertooth guild's numerous petty functionary rooms.

Rogue had found us mid-fight, and separated us with a particularly frustrated Shadow Dragon Roar, before barking at us both and then finally depositing us at Sting's office to be 'scolded', obviously forgetting the very childish nature of his Guildmaster, who had instead chosen a completely different tactic. "Okay, I should _probably_ give you each a punishment" Sting said as he climbed back into his chair, a vaguely amused, yet still somewhat serious, expression forming on his face. "I guess for starters you should probably clear up the mess you made… after that… why don't Rogue and I come up with additional _punishments_ " the White Dragon Slayer's eyes glinted with mischief. I smirked at the blond, whilst Gray frowned.

"I guess that makes sense… although somehow I think Rogue probably _would_ punish me… whilst the flame brain would get off easy" Gray complained. Sting shrugged.

"That may be true… I'll see what Rogue says, for _fairness_ sake" Sting responded, before standing up. "Now, I've got a meeting to have with the two Zollzero Family representative's here at the guild, so could you two please just keep it down and not destroy anything for a while" Sting added. I rolled my eyes before nodding.

"Sure, fine" I replied. Sting smirked, before making a move to walk past me. Just as he came within arm reach, however, I grabbed him and spun him around to face me. Then I gave him a quick, crushing kiss. Gray just stood and watched the sudden interaction, a slight sigh emanating from his mouth.

"You just couldn't go a couple hours without kissing?" he muttered. I broke off from Sting and let the blond go on his way, before glaring at the Ice Mage.

"Shut up and come on, we've got cleaning to do" I stated with a smug tone. Gray rolled his eyes once more, before moving to follow me. Sting then followed behind, obviously unperturbed by the sudden kiss. I saw him smile gently at me, before winking. I smirked back over my shoulder, just as the White Dragon Slayer ducked into another room. Once he was out of sight I returned my gaze to Gray, who was grinning wickedly. I frowned at him, silently questioning him on what he was smiling at.

Gray raised his eyebrow. "I didn't realise you were _this_ touchy-feely in your relationship" he mocked me. I shook my head.

"Well, Sting's my boyfriend, of course I'd wanna touch and feel him as much as I can" I responded, as if the statement should go without saying. The Ice Mage chuckled at my reply.

"That's not what that means, stupid pink lizard" he commented as we headed back to the destroyed room, "To be 'touchy-feely' means you are always close, like… you can't stop expressing affection" Gray added informatively. I shrugged.

"Whatever, come on and help me with this. The sooner we clean up the sooner we can report back to Sting and then…" I trailed off as I began smiling uncontrollably. Gray just heaved a sigh.

"Does the promise of something sexual always make you so energetic, because if so I'd fuck you if you clean this up yourself" Gray mumbled. I laughed at him.

"Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I'd rather have my own hot blond boyfriend, than your icy ass" I chuckled. Gray seemed surprised by my response for a moment, before shrugging; for once he didn't have a response.

I smiled victoriously to myself as I began picking up the larger splintered remnants of the chairs that had stood in this room only an hour ago.

/

 **Sabertooth Guild, Summer Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

The meeting didn't run for too long, and I left at the first available opportunity. It seemed that Arthur had already had a discussion with the two stoic, stone-faced Zollzero representatives, and had given them their instructions to deduct a small sum from the remaining total. It wasn't much, but it was still enough to relieve a little pressure.

As I walked down the corridor back towards my office, I had an idea that sent me spinning on one foot and more quickly walking back down that same stretch of corridor, to the room where Natsu and Gray were supposed to be. "Well… wow, this place looks cleaner and more organised than _before_ you two smashed it up" I commented, as I looked over the room upon entering. Natsu and Gray were sitting on two of the few remaining chairs with satisfied looks on their faces. "Hey Sting" Natsu greeted me, jumping up from his seat. I shook my head to stop him, before he leapt the distance to either hug, or kiss me. Or both.

"Save that for later, Natsu" I said to him to stop his advance. The pinkette pouted, but complied with my request.

"So, are you gonna continue punishing us?" Natsu asked me as he retook his seat. I pouted in thought for a moment, before grinning.

"Well… nah, not since you've done such a good job cleaning up. I'll tell Rogue to let you two off" I stated with a slight chuckle. Gray smirked at me, before standing up.

"I'll tell him. I need to ask him something anyways. You two can have your _little moment_ " he stated. I looked toward Gray before holding out my hand.

"Actually, I'm supposed to talk to Rogue in a couple minutes. He's probably in my office already, waiting. I'm afraid you two will just have to wait a little longer, even though I know it's a pain" I said. Gray looked to my outstretched hand for a moment, before shrugging.

"That's alright, if I can't see Rogue yet, I might as well go do some training or something" he replied. I smiled apologetically, before allowing the Ice Mage to pass by me and exit the room.

I then looked over toward Natsu. The pinkette beamed at me. "Are you gonna blow me off like you just did Gray?" he asked me. I raised an eyebrow.

"You're saying you _want_ me to blow you here?" I replied with a slightly coy smirk at my crude rewording of the request. Natsu sighed and rolled his eyes at me.

"Tch… you know what I mean, then again…" the Fire Dragon Slayer gave a wicked grin. I shook my head at him, before turning to leave.

"Yeah, I know what you mean" I stated, before gesturing for him to follow me. Natsu acquiesced with my silent request and followed me the short distance to my office. "But I've got this work to do, unfortunately being a Master isn't all easy, I don't even get to go on many jobs. Working at Fairy Tail with you was a bit of a holiday for me" I explained to Natsu. The pinkette nodded in understanding, but still seemed annoyed by my statement.

"Yeah, I know. You said all this already, but… I don't know Sting, I kinda just want you to… pay attention to me" he whined. I smiled at the childish request of my boyfriend.

As we reached the door to my office, I pulled Natsu close, before looking up and down the straight corridor. Then I grabbed Natsu's waistcoat, and dragged him in for a kiss. It was slow and felt weirdly long, despite the fact it only lasted a few seconds. "How about we go to a restaurant tonight. We can have a good time then maybe…" I trailed off, giving Natsu a suggestive raise of my eyebrows. The Fire Dragon Slayer seemed unsure for a moment, before beaming at me.

"Alright, it's a date" he cheered loudly, before catching himself and looking around suspiciously. There wasn't anybody around to hear him, we were safe, for now.

I nodded at him. "Right, you can do whatever you want for the rest of today, then later I'll come find you. I've got some ideas in mind for places to eat, so I'll let you choose where you want to go" I said with a grin. Natsu nodded, before making a move to leave.

"Okay, see you later" he smiled.

Once the pinkette was gone I allowed my smile to drop a little. _It's not gonna be for much longer… but I wanna make him as happy as I can_ I thought, as I opened the office door.

Inside I was met with a sour-faced Rogue. "Do you actually manage to keep your relationship secret, anyone could've heard Natsu's shout there" the Shadow Dragon Slayer commented upon seeing me. I scowled at him; it seemed someone _had_ overheard Natsu. _Luckily it was just Rogue… Yukino's not here yet_ I thought thankfully.

"We keep it secret fine, I mean… no one's guessed at it yet… except maybe Edric… and Medea… and Arthur…" I trailed off as I realised even those who had _not_ known Natsu and I very long had easily worked out the fact we were in a relationship.

Rogue just sighed. "Have you told him yet?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"No. It's just… he's so happy when he's with me… I don't want to tell him and make him sad" I replied. Rogue frowned.

"You've got to tell him Sting, otherwise it'll hurt when he has to leave without you. Gray already knows that I'm not coming with him, besides it'll only be until this debt's sorted, after that… you _could_ be together" Rogue stated. I nodded, we had already talked about this before, several times since our arrival at Sabertooth.

 _I'll tell him after our date tonight… Rogue's right, besides… he's only gonna have to put up with me not being around for a little while_ I thought to myself.

Rogue waited for me to sit down in my "Master's" chair before he began going through our current guild affairs. Yukino joined us a little later to help discuss events, we still had a way to go before we could fully repay our end of the Zollzero's debt, and unlike Fairy Tail, who had more passively dealt with the financial issue, Sabertooth had almost exhausted it's supply of high-paying jobs and guild finances. _We need a plan…_

No matter how bad things seemed, I still couldn't help but allow my mind to wander as I had several ideas about Natsu and my date later fill my head.

Shaking my head to dislodge the distracting thoughts, and taking a deep breath, I settled my mind on the task at hand. "Right" I said to emphasise this. Yukino and Rogue both smiled at the action, however they said nothing. Soon after I made some decisions, did the necessary paperwork, then left the rest for Rogue and Yukino to deal with.

It was time for Natsu and my date, and with what I had to tell him I had to make sure this night was perfect; or else, Natsu might not accept what I have to say.

/

 **Sabertooth Town, Summer Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

Sting strode about the town with a confident smile on his face. Every time he looked towards me he beamed bright enough to illuminate the rapidly darkening streets. His smile was the most beautiful thing, however tonight I knew it was covering for something else. _What's he keeping secret?_ I pondered as we walked side-by-side. To make sure Sting didn't suspect I knew something was up, I maintained my own smile, even if I was wracking my brains searching for a reason that the White Dragon Slayer could be upset, or annoyed. _Maybe he's still getting over the failed job?_ That didn't seem to be it.

Eventually we stopped at a small place on a quiet street. There were already people sitting outside, enjoying meals. Sting looked to me as I glanced about the outside of the small establishment. "Well, do you wanna go in here?" he asked me. I frowned for a moment, as I noticed the other patrons giving us slightly side-ways glances. _There sure are a lot of couples…_ I noted. Sting, however, seemed to ignore this fact, so I decided that the place must be okay. With a nod, the White Dragon Slayer led the way inside.

At the door, an older, kind-faced woman met us. "Master… Eucliffe?" she muttered in surprise before looking over to me. Sting gave her a slight smile.

"Hello" he greeted her smartly, "I know this is last minute, but do you have a table? We don't have reservations or anything, but I heard this place was popular and just had to come check it out" he added with a slightly sweeter tone. I wanted to hit the blond for using such a sickly-sweet tone. _He should only be doing that to me…_ I complained internally, _Besides, isn't it bad for Guild Masters, especially famous ones, to be abusing their power just to get good tables?_

The elder waitress' expression changed from one of surprise to a more well-rehearsed smile. "Well, although it isn't proper… we do have the private rooms at the back available. They would normally have to be paid in advance" she muttered, before taking out a book from a side table and scanning over the contents. "There are two available, since one cancelled and the other failed to arrive" she commented. Sting heard the two options and grinned.

"We'll take whichever" he confirmed, before producing a small wallet of money, "er… how much is it for the rooms?" he then asked her. The elderly woman smiled.

"It's three-hundred thousand jewel normally, however since both of these rooms have been prepaid already, and we don't return deposits… you may use them for just the prices of the food you order" the woman said in a reasonable voice. Sting grinned brightly upon hearing this.

"Really?!" he exclaimed in a rather loud tone. The woman nodded, before gesturing for us to follow. "Thank you" he said happily, before looking to me to seek my opinion on the matter. I just shrugged and smiled, giving the blond a thumbs-up. Sting nodded, and we followed the waitress into one of the immaculately kept backrooms.

Once we were sat down, we ordered our food and drinks, then sat together in a pleasant quiet. I grew pensive, for once I was unsure of what to say. What I really wanted to ask was what was on Sting's mind, however a part of me said to just wait for him to tell me. I knew he would, eventually.

Sting just kept smiling at me, although behind his eyes I could see a slight nervousness.

Keeping only to a little chatting, we ate, ordered deserts, then ate again, before finally leaving the restaurant. "That place was nice, although… don't you think there were a lot of _couples_ there? I know that technically we're also a couple it's just…" Sting chuckled.

"You're embarrassed about other people knowing about us?" he asked. I shook my head.

"You know it's not that, if anything its _you_ who needs to decide whether we're telling people or not, since it could… you know, affect you as a Guild Master" I responded, before pouting, "I'm fine with people knowing, even if some homophobic assholes show up at my door… they'd soon figure out that they aren't gonna be stopping me from seeing you. If they tried I'd just burn their butts" I grinned mischievously. Sting chuckled along with me.

"I know, and I'd do the same… well, I might not _burn their butts_ , but I'd certainly kick 'em down. Rogue'd probably do something too" Sting stated. I nodded.

"Yeah. I guess Gray probably would help too… since he's also like us" I reasoned, "Although, if he tells anyone about us, I'm burning him bad too" I added calmly. Sting sighed.

"Then you'd have to deal with Rogue" he commented. I shrugged, earning a surprised expression from Sting.

"Well, it's not like I _haven't_ beaten him before… just like I beat you too. Plus, I even fought that Future version who was even stronger, and I still won" I mused. Sting frowned at being reminded of his defeat in the Grand Magic Games almost two years ago.

"Hmph… I can't say about future me, but I'm stronger now at _this_ point in time, and so is Rogue" he pouted in a mock-sulking tone. I just shook my head nonchalantly, before leaning closer to him as we walked side-by-side down the street back towards a hotel that Sting was fond of. We had mutually decided that it would be better if the two of us spent the night at a hotel instead of at Sting's apartment, especially if we wanted to 'have fun' before we slept and not get caught in a compromising position. Plus, it meant we didn't have to be quiet.

Whilst I waited to the side of the front desk, I smiled at the prospect of once again having sex with the blond, although I still wanted to ask him about what was on his mind. As Sting returned with the room key, I debated outright asking him there, however I finally decided that it'd be better to ask him tomorrow. _That way I don't have to ruin this nice night together…_ I reasoned.

/

"Well… welcome to our castle for the night, princess" Sting laughed as he unlocked the door, gesturing for me to enter first. I rolled my eyes at his antics.

"I'm not a _princess_ , if anything I'm the Fire Dragon that'd be guarding the princess" I replied, before entering the room as Sting had gestured for me to. As Sting followed me in he continued chuckling, before locking the door and placing the keys onto the coffee table. I flopped down onto the comfortable sofa, eyeing up the blond as he negotiated his way around the other side of the low table in order to sit beside me. As Sting sat down, I smiled at him. "Tonight, was nice" I said. Sting smiled and opened his arm so I could lean against him. I did so, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself" he replied in his usual, pleasant voice, "I wasn't sure if we were gonna get the table at that place, since I was pretty sure you had to have a reservation, I guess we just got lucky there was some cancellations" he added wistfully. I gave a little laugh upon hearing Sting say this.

"Are you sure that's it?" I asked him amusedly.

Sting gave a puzzled frown. "What're you talking about?" he questioned me, earning a smirking expression from me.

"Are you sure we didn't just get that room because of how you sweet-talked that lady, using your Master title to get it?" I commented with raised eyebrows. Sting gave a look of genuine surprise, before making a sheepish face.

"Well… I guess people do tend to treat me differently since I became a Master… but when did I sweet-talk her?" he seemed completely unaware of his change of tone back at the restaurant.

I sighed. "Never mind, it's just… you sounded so sickly-sweet" I stated. Sting smiled at me as he heard this.

"Oh, so you mean how my tone changed? I guess I did try to sound more pleasant, but it wasn't that bad, was it?" he said. I pouted.

"It _almost_ sounded like you were flirting with her" I responded dryly. Sting laughed at hearing this, before reaching down to my chin, holding my face so it was looking directly up at his.

"Sorry about that" he said, before giving me a quick, tender kiss. I smiled at the small gesture of affection, and moved to try and deepen the kiss, however the White Dragon Slayer pulled away. "But I can promise you I wasn't trying to flirt. It's interesting you'd get jealous of me talking to some _older_ _woman_ like that, when you _know_ I don't have any interest in them" Sting finished. I gave another pout, although this one was more playful.

"I just… I want to be the only one who gets to hear anything sweet coming from you" I stated in a slightly embarrassed tone, giving an unwanted blush that coloured my face a shade close to that of my hair.

Sting gave a purring noise at hearing my little confession. "Aww… too cute" he beamed, before capturing my lips in another sweet, short kiss. "Alright, how about we make a deal" he then added. I furrowed my brow.

"What kind of deal?" I asked him. Sting smiled cunningly.

"A deal where I won't go making you jealous, and in turn… you only get to act this cute when you're with me and me alone" the White Dragon Slayer grinned. I smiled brightly at the blonde's premise.

"Alright, that's fine with me. I wouldn't act cute for anyone else anyways, because it's only _you_ I'll let see and call me cute… especially when we fuck" I answered, before wrapping both my arms around the White Dragon's neck. Sting gave a wild-eyed look over my body.

"No one is gonna get to see you naked but me" he declared boldly, before grinning. "But you do know you've just admitted you're cute?" he added with an amused tone. I pouted, before pulling Sting down so we were lying on the sofa together.

"Shut up, you're cute" I retorted childishly. Sting rolled his eyes.

"Whatever" he replied, before beginning to kiss along my jaw, "Now, you said about fucking…" he chuckled.

I smirked at him with a slightly lewd look to my face. "Heh heh, are you feeling hot there?" I asked Sting in a darker tone. Sting smiled.

"Well, I _am_ feeling some heat somewhere" he replied, breaking off from his kisses along my jawline. I laughed and kissed along Sting's exposed neck.

"Good, because anything _hot_ is perfect for a Fire Dragon Slayer" I mused in between kisses. Sting just rolled his eyes and pinched my cheek, before moving to capture my lips in his own.

/

"Mnmph… Natsu…" Sting purred as we kissed. The White Dragon Slayer was laying on top of me on the sofa, his body heated but still, unfortunately, clothed. I smirked, before raising my hips a little and grinding against Sting's awakening member.

"Sting" I groaned in reply, as I caused delicious friction between our two concealed members. The blond began to grind down, forcing me into a more submissive position below him with the force of his hips. Normally I would be happy to obligingly allow myself to be dominated, at least for the most part, however tonight I was feeling a little more playful. With a wicked grin, I deepened our kiss and began to push up against the blond. Sting looked deep into my eyes as he felt my tongue begin to invade his mouth, a glimmer of intrigue passed over his face as he began to notice my slight resistance.

"Wanna fight for it tonight, Natsu?" the White Dragon Slayer asked me as we broke apart. With his eyebrows raised, and that cocky smile present on his face, I felt a great pang of want, however I suppressed that, for now.

"Maybe I want to switch things up a bit" I grinned back at the other male, my hands moving over his chest, pushing him up slightly to emphasise this point. Sting chuckled darkly.

"Hmm… I'm game, but you're gonna have to _make_ me get down tonight, since we haven't done anything in a couple days I'm feeling a bit more dominant tonight" Sting replied deviously, before pressing me down into the sofa with his own body weight. Some people may have found the action to be oppressive, however I saw it as a challenge, and my Draconic Instincts were just dying for me to rise to it. I laughed cockily.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't give you warning" I stated, before making my move. With a deft grab and one swift motion Sting was launch up and rolled over on the seat with me lying on top of him. The blond looked stunned at the sudden change I had caused. Before he could recover I kissed him sloppily, my tongue immediately making it through his lowered defence to begin its assault on his wet muscle. _Maybe practicing doing those grabs and tosses with Gray earlier wasn't such a bad idea_ I noted mentally, a silent thought of appreciation being sent out to the Ice Mage for teaching me that move, although it was _supposed_ to be used in fights and not in moments like this. Sting didn't seem to care though, as he began recovering from the sudden position change, his hands exploring my body, before grabbing at my butt roughly whilst I ground down on his member in hard rhythmic thrusts. "Agh… I didn't know you could do that, did you learn that flip in a fight?" the White Dragon Slayer commented as I moved from attacking his mouth to instead trailing kisses down his jaw and neck. I smirked in between each kiss.

"Well… now you do, and… yeah, I guess I kinda did learn it from fighting" I replied, before I bit down lightly on Sting's collar bone. This elicited the most beautiful noise from the blonde's throat; I had to do it again.

"N-natsu…" Sting moaned as I timed my second playful bite with a particularly hard thrust. With a wicked smile on my face I eyed up the blond. "If you keep _that_ up I'll come before we can get to anything more… fun" Sting commented with a hint of warning in his tone. I just chuckled.

"If you can't keep up with me, why don'tcha do that trick with the light thing to keep yourself hard?" I asked him. Sting rolled his eyes.

"You know I can only do that on other people, I'm immune to light-based spells like you're pretty immune to fire spells" he said, matter-of-factly. I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

"I was just joking" I stated, before running a hand down Sting's exposed abdomen. "But fine, I won't do that again" I added after a moment. Sting almost looked disappointed at hearing this, however he then noticed my bright grin. Before he could ask what it was that I was smiling about, though, I enacted my plan. With one hand on Sting's chest I pulled up the blonde's shirt to expose one of his nipples, whilst simultaneously with the other hand I slid my hand down his pants and took a firm hold of his member. "Instead of doing that, I'll do _this_ instead" I laughed darkly.

Sting almost made a move to protest, however I stopped him in one swift, well timed, attack to both his nipple, with my mouth, and his member, with my other hand. The two conflicting sensations silenced any potential of protest from the blond as I ripped a stream of moans and other noises from his mouth to preoccupy him. "Gnn… Natsu… you're mouth so… s-so hot" Sting exclaimed as I flicked my tounge over the pink bud whilst also slowly stroking his member, enough to make him feel good, but not enough to make him come too soon. After a few more strokes I let go of his member, and withdrew my hand. Looking up at Sting's flushed face, I flicked my tongue one last time over his nipple, before instead licking the small traces of precum from my hand. The sight seemed to appease the blond, as I felt a slight grinding motion from his hip.

Finally satisfied that I had tortured my boyfriend enough, I moved up to his face and captured his lips one last time. "Come on, let's get on that comfy looking bed" I said to him breathlessly. _Besides, any longer and it'll be me coming first… this is pretty hot_ I thought as I took a hold of Sting's hand and led him up off the sofa, over to the bed.

 _Maybe if I let him top… then he'll decide to tell me what's bothering him_ I thought briefly, before quelling that line of reasoning; I didn't feel right using sex to manipulate Sting. _He'll tell me when he feels it's right to_ I reassured myself as I spun around and smirked at the blond. Sting then kissed me and began pushing me down onto the bed as he always did.

/

It didn't take long for us to get naked. We had already had enough practice stripping each other whilst making out, so soon it was just a matter of actually fucking. "Sting… put it in…" I whined impatiently, as the White Dragon kneeled on top of me, finger slowly moving in and out of my hole.

Sting smirked, before looking over my body, with my legs being held apart by his thighs and waist. He then raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I haven't even got two fingers in yet… if you aren't stretched then… it'd hurt" he commented. I pouted and nodded.

"Of course, I'm sure, besides… I know you won't hurt me" I replied with a flat tone, edged with genuine care and belief in my lover. Sting just chuckled, although I noticed a hint of unsureness in his voice.

"Well… okay, but just tell me if it gets too much. I'll stop, or give you time or whatever" he stated, before taking the lube he had left on the bedside table and squirting a good amount onto both my butt and his cock. "I'm gonna go in slow, so-"

"If it hurts I'll say so" I finished his sentence for him. Sting pouted and began lining up with my hole. Then I felt the tip press against my entrance. "I'm going in" he said. I chuckled, before I began to feel the slow burn of stretching as the blond entered my body.

At this point I had felt Sting's cock inside me a number of times, however this was the first time I had allowed him inside without as much preparation. _Damn… this is harder than usual… I shouldn't have messed around so much beforehand… then I wouldn't have been so desperate…_ I chided myself internally as Sting continued to slowly push inside with his throbbing member. I looked deep into the blue ocean of the blonde's irises, the flickering light there calming me. I knew he would be looking for any sign of discomfort or pain, any hint that I wanted him to stop, so I kept my smile on as best I could. Once Sting was fully seated inside, I let out a deep breath. "W-was that too much… Natsu?" Sting's voice was overflowing with worry. I shook my head and chuckled a little.

"No, it's fine Sting" I said, "It's not my first time doing this, remember" I added with a sly wink. Sting seemed unsure and waited for a moment to give me time. I just took a few moments, before smiling at him and moving my hips a little to signal to him I was ready. Sting took one last look at my face, before glancing over my body. Then he began to move.

It was slow at first, Sting obviously still aware that this could be painful, however I was already impatient and my patience was not going to hold out much longer. With one last breath, I reached up toward the White Dragon Slayer and pulled him in for a kiss. It was sloppy, with tongue's flailing, however it was passionate, and it helped to take the edge of the feelings of growing heat from below. As I let Sting go, and lay back into the bed to allow the blond to continue, I saw the White Dragon grin. "Heh… I don't know but… I kinda like this version of you in bed, when you take a bit more command" Sting smirked.

I blushed slightly at his comment, before I moved my hips a little. "Why don't you show it then, and fuck me" I replied with a darker, huskier tone of voice.

Sting smiled wider, before trailing a hand over my body. "Very well… _princess_ " he chuckled. I pouted, however before I could raise a protest, Sting used my earlier tactic against me, and began to pull at one of my nipples with his index finger and thumb, whilst also delivering a pleasure-inducing thrust to my butt. "Ahh…" I moaned aloud. Smiling victoriously, the blond continued with this attack, moving with his hips, angling at different thrusts as I slowly dissolved into a moaning mass of flesh beneath him. Eventually, however, something sent me spiralling out of my pleasure-induced state into a whole new realm of delicious sexual pleasure. "Ahh… Sting… t-there… again!" I moaned in between gasps as the blond struck my prostrate at _just_ the right place. Sting laughed, an odd noise mixing pleasure and cockiness.

"Hah, good…" he breathed, before angling his thrusts the same as previously, earning more and more moans from me.

Eventually, both Sting's thrusts, and my moans became sporadic, less controlled, and more driven by _need_. "Natsu… I'm gonna… I'm close" Sting panted as he continued to drive his cock into my ass. His body was slickened from the activity and looked so sexy I was desperate to feel him come inside me, however I was only viewing him through lust-lidded eyes, my brain having long switched off from the assault to _that_ spot. "Mmm… 'kay" I mumbled, as I felt my own orgasm near. "Me too".

Sting smiled, before grabbing at my member and giving it a few strokes. "Together" he declared. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to time my orgasm right, and instead of 'together' it was more like 'one after another'. First, I came, covering Sting's and my chests as I moaned. "S-Sting… Sting… Fuck! Fuck me!" I gasped as my vision whited out slightly from the ecstasy I was experiencing. Then, Sting came, with the hottest, sexiest noises possible.

"Gn… nghh… Nah… Natsu" he exclaimed loudly, loud enough that surely the rooms either side of us _must_ have heard.

We each rode our respective orgasms to completion, then Sting finally pulled out and flopped down on the bed beside me, giving off a contented purring noise. "That was… good…" he breathed. I turned my head to look directly at the blond.

"Just… good?" I panted. Sting chuckled.

"No, it was great… amazing…" he corrected. I nodded, before moving slightly to wriggle under the covers. Sting did the same, then he embraced me beneath the warmth of the sheets.

/

We lay there, tired, but not sleepy, since it was still quiet early in the evening. Each of us just enjoying the feeling of our afterglow. After a while, though, Sting shuffled uncomfortably. "Sting?" I questioned aloud, looking toward the White Dragon's direction. The blond smiled at me.

"What is it, Natsu?" he asked me. I frowned. _Should I just ask him?_

"Um…" I couldn't decide if now was an appropriate time to bother the White Dragon, however I couldn't think of another one. "Well…" I began, before faltering.

"Is something the matter?" Sting's voice was tinged with concern, as he sat up in bed, shuffling over close to me, so he could properly see my face. I smiled nervously at him.

"Well… er… I wanna ask you something… but…" I trailed off. Sting looked down over me, with an intrigued expression on his face. I decided to sit up, if I was gonna question him even after such a wonderful night I wanted to do it face-to-face, rather than curled up under the concealing covers. Sting waited for me to get comfortable sitting should-to-shoulder with him, then he spoke. "What do you want to ask me about, is it something important?" he said. I frowned for a moment, before pouting unsurely.

"I'm… not sure if it is important but… okay, I was just wondering but… has something went on with you at the guild, only… since coming to see me, and then taking me to that restaurant… I kind thought you looked… I don't know, tense?" I wasn't exactly sure of the right words to ask the blond, so I figured my little rambling might make him understand. After looking at him for a few moments, I noticed a faint change in his scent; Apprehension.

"Oh, I didn't think you'd notice but… look Natsu, I didn't want to tell you this before our date, in case it ruined everything, and then when we got here you and me kinda got distracted…" Sting rambled on for a moment, "It's just… well… I'm the guild master of Sabertooth and then… there's this responsibility so-" I cut Sting off with a kiss.

"Just tell me, I'll be okay if it's something to do with your guild. I love you after all, so it can't be something too bad, right?" I asked Sting this, knowing it would calm him. With a slightly more confident smile the White Dragon Slayer nodded at me.

"Rogue and the others, Arthur included, said it's probably better for me to stay _here_ at Sabertooth… so I… well, we won't be close for a little while. I thought you could maybe come here on your way to and from missions but… basically, we're gonna be apart for a little while" Sting said with a voice of nervousness.

I took a moment to absorb this information, then I smiled at Sting. "Is that what's been eating you up all night, you worried that this might upset me?" I asked Sting, with a tone of faint amusement, but still seeking confirmation from the blond. Sting looked taken aback for a moment, before nodding weakly.

"Well… yeah. I thought it might upset you that I was choosing to stay here rather than go with you" Sting stated. I chuckled a little upon hearing this.

"I guess it is a little frustrating that I won't get to be with you all the time, however… well, I kinda already expected this" I commented calmly. Sting gave a look of surprise.

"You expected it?" he mumbled. I rolled my eyes and nodded.

"Sting, we're in different guilds, and you're a _Master_ , so of course I expected it. You had to go to Sabertooth some time, and I kinda figured you'd end up staying. Gray said so too… I guess he's already had to be apart from _his_ boyfriend from time to time too, so he could understand, and he warned me that it'd probably be the same for us too" I explained. Sting pouted for a moment as he absorbed this.

"You and Gray had a nice long chat today, eh?" he mused. I shook my head.

"Nah, mostly today we were training. _Yesterday_ when you and Rogue ditched us we talked… for most of the time. I guess we argued a bit too" I grinned sheepishly. Sting grinned back at me.

"Just so long as you know… but we've still got a few days left, and I plan to spend as much of them with you as I can. Then, once the debts over with, we can maybe get together and work something out" Sting said in a marginally more upbeat tone.

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan… plus, even though I'll be at Fairy Tail, I can still take the odd mission near to here… or even just take a little detour on my way back. Like you said, I _can_ always come on by when I'm on a job" I winked reassuringly at Sting. The White Dragon Slayer nodded in agreement.

"Alright… so… I guess everything's… okay…" he sounded a little unsure how to proceed after this little revelation. _He obviously didn't expect me and Gray to talk… or to plan out our own little plot to take jobs together just so we could visit Sabertooth_ I thought with vague amusement. Deciding to help Sting along with this, I leaned over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Yes, everything's okay. Unless there's something _else_ you wanna talk about?" I stated with a slightly sarcastic tone. Sting looked over to me and shook his head.

"No, there ain't anything else. Although… there is _one_ thing I wanna do. Kiss you to sleep" he said with a cocky flutter of his eyebrows. I smirked back at him.

"Well, then… why don't we get started" I replied, before leaning in. "Just so you know… I've still got plenty of energy left if there's something _else_ you wanna do before we go to sleep" I added with a dark tone of voice.

Sting smirked wickedly. "Hmm… tempting… but I think we should make sure we can still walk tomorrow… otherwise Rogue'd probably complain" Sting answered. I shrugged.

"It'd only be a problem if _you_ couldn't walk tomorrow… I don't think anyone'd care if I couldn't" I answered. Sting groaned.

"Just shut up and kiss me, or else I really will end up taking you up on your offer" he said, before silencing me with a kiss.

Then we slept, wrapped up in each other's arms, both of us happy and content.

Outside, the summer night was quiet. It had certainly been an interesting Summer; however, it was, as I was soon to find out, all only a prelude for a much worse Autumn.

 **End of Chapter 23**

 **Chapter Hint; Another 'Friendly' Hello**


	24. Chapter 24 - Another 'Friendly' Hello

**Chapter 24 – Another 'Friendly' Hello**

 **Sabertooth Guild, Summer Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

"Sting!" Natsu beamed as I entered my office.

"Natsu?" I said with a voice of surprise. "I thought you were going to spend the day training with Gray, it's still a few hours before I said I'd pick you up" I commented. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer nodded, before closing the distance between us.

"Yeah, I know, it's just… it's our last day together, so I just couldn't stay by myself and do nothing. Gray's already left with Rogue somewhere, I guess they're going on a date too" Natsu said with a sweet tone. I sighed.

"That may be true but…" I trailed off as Natsu gave me the most adorable puppy-dog eyes.

"Come on, you can get away with leaving early just once. Rogue can't complain, since he did it too" Natsu reasoned with me. I smiled slightly, before making my way over towards my desk, glancing over the small stack of paperwork that had been left there by Rogue an hour ago. _I don't need to do all this… but I do need to submit that report to the Magic Council on that job Rufus did for them…_

Turning back towards Natsu I shrugged. "If you're willing to wait for… let's say twenty minutes, half an hour at most, I'll just finish that report and then I'll leave it at that" I said to Natsu, using my most reasonable tone. Natsu pouted in thought for a moment, before crossing the distance of the room towards me and smirking.

"Alright, thirty minutes. Then I'm gonna _drag_ you outta here if I have to" he stated. I nodded.

"Okay, so I'll just start now" I replied, reaching out for the report, before I was stopped by Natsu's hand on my wrist. Glancing back over to the pinkette I saw the smile on his face, and knew what was coming next. The Fire Dragon Slayer then wrapped his arms around my waist as he kissed me, slow and loving.

I allowed the kiss to linger, since I was sure it would help pacify the other Dragon Slayer long enough that I would be able to do my work uninterrupted, for thirty minutes at least. Just as I was about to pull away and begin my work, however, something sounded at the door.

"Sting, I know you're busy but Minerva and I wer-" Yukino stopped dead in her tracks as she entered the office room. "I'm sorry!" she gasped suddenly as she saw Natsu and myself frantically unravel ourselves from around each other. I jumped away from Natsu as Yukino was about to leave.

"Wait! Yukino!" I called out to her, before grabbing her wrist and making her spin around. As I did this I noticed Minerva coming up around the corridor. She saw the hold I had on Yukino and rushed over with an intrigued expression.

"What's going on here?" she asked me with a half-interested, half-sarcastic tone of voice.

I sighed. "Well… guess you'll both have to come in here for a moment" I stated with a slight tone of annoyance, before letting go of Yukino's hand in order to gesture for them to come into the office. Both of the Spatial Mages followed me inside and I had them sit at the two seats available opposite my own chair. Natsu stood in silence beside my chair as I moved to take it. "Alright, so what do you need to talk to us about Sting? And hello Natsu, I don't think I've talked to you much since you arrived here" Minerva said as her eyes glanced between the pinkette and me. Yukino stayed quiet, a visible blush of embarrassment clear on her features. I cleared my throat.

"Okay… well… for starters, sorry about that Yukino, I didn't hear you coming so… yeah…" I shuffled uncomfortably. The white-haired woman looked away nervously.

"I'm sorry" she squeaked in a much quieter repeat of her earlier exclamation. I nodded.

"Will someone explain what's going on here? Yukino? Sting?" Minerva looked annoyedly from Yukino to me to Natsu, then back to me. I shuffled once more under the slightly intense gaze of the former Master's daughter.

"Okay, well… this is hard, but well… Natsu and I are kinda… _together_ , like boyfriends" I said uneasily, trying to gauge how the two women before me would act. Minerva went quiet for a moment, before looking to Yukino.

"So… you saw them then?" she asked Yukino, who nodded and then shook her head like she didn't know how to respond.

I decided to make it easier for her. "Natsu…" I said, before standing up to look at the pinkette. I knew he could already tell what I was thinking by the faint smile on his face. With a wink, he took a step closer to me, then planted a kiss on my lips, short but sweet. "Yeah, he's my boyfriend. It's not a lie, and Yukino _did_ see us" Natsu stated a little too happily. I chuckled, before turning to look at the two; I didn't sit down again, since it calmed me to have Natsu beside me whilst I faced them.

Minerva cracked a smile as she saw us. "I thought something was going on with you, since Natsu was the _only_ person anyone ever saw you leave and return to the guild with each day" she commented wryly. "The only person other than Natsu who've you been that close to was Rogue" she added. I frowned.

"Nothing's ever happened between me and Rogue!" I complained frustratedly. Minerva laughed.

"So, you've always said" she retorted, before looking to Yukino. I gulped.

"Well… Yukino… is this okay with you both? Or are you gonna freak out?" I asked the pair. Yukino remained quiet for another long moment, before smiling.

"Well… I did wonder like Minerva… because well… I always suspected something was going on with you but I never said anything" she rambled for a moment, before taking a breath, "Although that was a surprise, I don't have anything against Natsu, and you have seemed happier since you came back… so… yeah, I think it's fine" she said at last, giving us both a smile. I smiled back, before Minerva interjected.

"I agree… however, other people may not. Sting, if other people find out, it could have… impacts… for the guild" Minerva stated in a carefully measured tone. I nodded.

"Yeah, I had intended to wait until the debt was cleared before I told anyone, and I was gonna start with just you two, Lector and Frosch. Rogue kinda… already knew, but then stuff happened and well… both of our exceed buddies know too now" I answered Minerva, before grinning. "However, if it comes to it… I'll have to hand over control of the guild to one of you so then, at least, it won't be as bad when I tell people" I added confidently. Minerva raised an eyebrow at this declaration, however she still smiled.

"Well, so long as you are aware. Letting go of the Mastership may be an extreme response to the issue though" she stated. I shrugged.

"I'll do what I have to for Sabertooth" I said, before shooting her another smile, "But I hope it doesn't come to that. After all, I love both Natsu _and_ Sabertooth" I added. Minerva and Yukino both nodded.

"I don't think anyone at Sabertooth would mind" Yukino stated in a friendly tone. I laughed.

"Well… Orga and a couple of the others might make fun, but I don't think they'd do anything to stop us being together" I replied, before I checked the wall clock. I had noticed Natsu's eyes trail towards it, and I was slowly coming to realise that the pinkette was obviously still wanting me to finish my work and leave. Minerva also seemed to notice this, as she began chuckling. "Got something planned, Natsu?" she inquired in a sly tone. The pinkette looked surprised that someone had noticed his too-obvious glances at the clock.

"Oh… well…" he stammered for a moment. I chuckled, before knocking him on the side of the head.

"Idiot" I commented, before looking apologetically toward Yukino and Minerva, "We kind of had an agreement for me to finish my work, then go on a little… well, date, before he leaves tomorrow" I explained to them both. Minerva laughed upon hearing this.

"Well, that's just adorable" she mused, before motioning to stand. "Don't let us stop you then" she added. Yukino looked up to Minerva from her seat, before making to leave also.

"Yes, I was going to discuss some stuff with you about another job that came up, but that can wait until tomorrow. Don't worry about that report either Sting, I can finish it, if you sign it off now. That way you can leave now" the Celestial Spirit Mage gave a slight wink. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"You don't mind?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"No, I don't mind. Besides I… er… interrupted you before" she blushed again. I beamed at hearing this.

"Thanks, Yukino. I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise" I said happily, before looking over to the pinkette, who was grinning also.

"I'm not complaining" he said, "Since it means we get to go even faster" he added excitedly. I nodded, before picking up the report and flicking to the last page, where the Guild Master was required to sign it off. Quickly scrawling my name on the required line, I offered it to Yukino who took it. "Have fun" she smiled politely. I nodded, before making to leave with Natsu.

"We will" we both said in unison. Natsu and I then left the guild several hours earlier than I had intended. Looking to the pinkette I saw him grin.

"So… where're you taking me tonight?" he asked. I grinned back at him.

"Somewhere I think you're gonna love" I replied.

Natsu nodded. "Sounds good, do we need to get ready for it or anything? Like, change clothes or…" he asked. I laughed.

"It's somewhere you're not gonna need your clothes" I stated. He laughed darkly upon hearing this.

"Even better" he replied.

/

I watched with glee as Natsu's eyes grew wide. "This is the place" I announced merrily, as I continued looking at the pinkette's childishly happy expression. "Do you like it?" I added after a moment, as I tried to suppress a laugh.

Natsu nodded vigorously. "Yeah, this is great" he beamed. I allowed the chuckle I was supressing out.

"I know, I could tell from your face" I stated, before leaning in close. The pinkette kissed me sweetly and I took his hand. Although admitting our relationship to Minerva and Yukino was a surprise, I could feel nothing but elation, and a weird kind of high, as I left the guild; and it had only gotten worse the closer we got to the venue.

"So we get to use the spa and hot springs here, then sleep in our own private room?" Natsu asked as we pulled away from our kiss and began to walk into the inn.

I nodded in confirmation. "Yes. There's also a buffet and other activities, if your up for any of them" I added.

Natsu smiled. "That depends on what happens after the hot springs… I might not be able to handle anything more then you" he replied with a slightly lewd tone of voice that caught me off guard.

I just smiled, before moving to confirm the reservation I had made earlier with the woman behind the desk. "Ah, Master Eucliffe" the elderly receptionist greeted me. I shot her a smile.

"Yes, I'm here about my reservation" I stated. The receptionist nodded.

"This way please, a room for two, with spa-and-springs pass?" she asked, seeking confirmation with a pleasant smile. I chuckled.

"Yes, this will be my number two" I gestured to Natsu, "Natsu Dragneel, from Fairy Tail" I introduced the pinkette. The woman glanced to Natsu from a moment, before smiling and nodding.

"Alright, if you would both follow me I will show you your room. Here are the two keys for the room. You'll also need these passes to get into the spa and hot springs. The doors are enchanted, so you can't get in without them, however if you just have it on your person, then the door will open for you" the woman explained as she walked, before stopping at a wooden door with the number '11' imprinted into a brass plate. "This is your room, if you need anything just tell me. The buffet will be available from 6PM, there is also the option to have food ordered to your room" the receptionist said. I smiled and nodded.

"Understood. Thank you, ma'am" I replied pleasantly. The woman smiled.

"If there is nothing else, I'll take my leave. Please enjoy your stay" she stated, before motioning to leave. I nodded.

"Okay, thank you again" I said, before moving to unlock the door.

Natsu looked to me suspiciously as I put the key into the lock. "She seemed very familiar with you, Sting?" he stated. I sighed, as I heard the lock _click_ open.

"Jealous again, Natsu?" I asked the pinkette. Natsu shrugged.

"Do I need to be?" he retorted. I smirked.

"Well, no, obviously. I just know her because when this place was being built, Rogue, Lector, Frosch and me helped to gather the wood for it, as well as help set up the lacrimas in the spa that heat the water in the hot tubs" I stated. Natsu smiled upon hearing this.

"So, she gave you a deal because you helped out?" he asked. I nodded.

"Well… yeah, do you know how much a room here costs normally?" I commented. Natsu shrugged, before grinning.

"No. But anyways, come on, let's check out the room later, I wanna go in the spa and hot springs" Natsu pleaded excitedly. I smiled. _I can't resist that smile…_

"Alright" I agreed, "That's the best bit anyways. Come on, I know where it is" I added, before looking over my shoulder toward the pinkette and gesturing for him to take my hand. Natsu did so happily, and we quickly set off toward the hot spring and spa area.

/

After stripping down and enjoying the facilities for a few hours, Natsu and I decided to commandeer one of the sauna rooms for ourselves, after noticing that one of them was free. "I love sauna's, although I never feel as hot in them" Natsu grinned as he took a seat at one of the wooden benches inside the room. It wasn't overly large, but at the same time did feel too cramped with both of us in there. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself" I beamed, before closing the door behind us.

As soon as I sat down on the bench and allowed my head to rest back against the wooden wall, I felt Natsu's hand creeping up my leg. Lazily lounging my head to the side, I observed the pinkette with vague amusement. "What are you doing?" I asked in a calm tone, pretending like I didn't know exactly what pervy thoughts the Fire Dragon Slayer had inside his head.

Natsu gave a sly little scoff. "What I'm doing is putting my hand on your leg" he stated plainly, but with a hint of mischief in his tone that belied his ruder intentions.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay then, what are you _thinking_ of doing?" I asked him in a slightly more amused tone of voice.

Natsu laughed darkly this time and shuffled closer to me on the bench. "Oh… well, what I was _thinking_ of doing was getting you off whilst we're in here" Natsu stated, in a level tone that made it sound like this was an everyday occurrence. I smirked a little at his suggestive behaviour, before leaning over to him and giving him a surprise kiss.

"Heh, so you're in?" Natsu asked as I pulled away. I smirked a little, before shaking my head.

"Can we not wait until _after_ dinner tonight?" I pleaded with him. Natsu shrugged, before taking a more relaxed sitting position beside me, his shoulder touching mine, but his hand off my thigh.

"Alright… I'll _try_ to not do it here, but sitting there all sexy with nothing but that teeny-tiny piece of cloth between me and your cock is making it _really hard_ " Natsu emphasised the last two words with such a tone of desperation I almost gave in for a moment, until I saw his wicked smile, and realised this was his plan.

With a confident chuckle, I wrapped an arm around Natsu's shoulders before leaning in close. "It's hard for me too, but trust me, it'll be better if we wait" I commented, leaning in even closer to the pinkette with the intention of kissing him. Natsu smiled back at me, reaching up to hold my chin in his hands. Just then, however, a voice pulled us from our intimacy.

"You two really can't leave it in the bedroom" Gray commented, as he stood leaning against the open door of the sauna, Rogue behind him, both clad only in the same towels that Natsu and I wore. I snapped my head around to glare at the Ice Mage, whilst Natsu sat pouting.

"What are you two doing here?!" I barked in surprise Rogue and Gray, as the sudden change from privately intimate to public stalled my brain momentarily.

"Tch, we _were_ here to have a nice last day away from the guild" Gray stated, before looking to Rogue. "Did you know Sting was coming here?" he asked his boyfriend.

Rogue shook his head. "No, I thought they might use the time we were away to… er… spend time in the apartment" the Shadow Dragon commented, before looking around the relatively empty spa area; the only place that still held people were the saunas.

I noticed the analytical gaze of my partner, and could easily work out what he was thinking. "You can come in here with us if you want, that way you don't have to worry about being too… secretive" I stated, directing his towards Rogue.

The black-haired slayer smirked, before looking to Gray, who just shrugged. "I guess…" he responded, before the pair moved onto the wooden bench opposite us, closing the door again behind them. Natsu sat in silence for a few moments, glancing from me to the other two and back again. _I know it's not what you expected but… just make the best of it_ I thought to myself, before I began to absent-mindedly thread my fingers through the pink locks on the back of Natsu's head. Soon the pink-haired Dragon Slayer began to purr quietly, whilst laying his head down on my shoulder. I looked incredulously towards Natsu for a moment, before smiling slightly to myself. Looking back towards Gray and Rogue I noticed the pair whispering amongst themselves. _This isn't so bad, at least Natsu's keeping calm and relaxed…_

"So, do you two have any other plans, or are you just gonna spend the remainder of your time here like me and Natsu are?" I asked Rogue and Gray, trying to make some conversation. Rogue chuckled.

"No, we're gonna go to a restaurant for dinner, I'm guessing you and Natsu are staying to have the buffet here?" Rogue stated. I nodded.

"Yeah, that way it doesn't take long to get back to our room" I smirked, adding a slightly dark touch to this comment. Rogue scoffed, however Gray smirked.

"I'm surprised you even need to get back to your room so quickly, if you've already been doing stuff in places like this. Then again, I suppose if Natsu is as _excitable_ in that as he is in general…" Gray trailed off as Natsu sat more upright with an annoyed pout on his face. _Here it goes… I knew this'd happen if they were left in the same room long enough…_

"We didn't do anything!" Natsu protested angrily, eyeing Gray in a way that I knew meant he was looking for a fight. Gray almost rose to the challenge, before Natsu broke out in a grin, "Yet" he added in a lewd tone of voice.

Gray chuckled immediately at the pinkette's more pervy side. _I'm surprised he's even willing to admit that to Gray… I wouldn't have been able to do the same to Rogue, but just because I know he'd complain about it_ I thought to myself with vague amusement, before glancing over to my black-haired partner. The Shadow Dragon Slayer also seemed vaguely amused by the sudden change from tense to relaxed in our respective boyfriend's exchange.

"Sting, didn't you have work to do before you left the guild though?" Rogue commented after a few moments. I sighed and tilted my head back.

"Well… yes, but then…" I tried to decide the best way to explain to Rogue what happened. "Natsu and I may have been discussing something in the office, when Yukino walked in and overheard us. Minerva then showed up and well… we kinda had to admit to them that Natsu and I are together, and that we're gay obviously" I said to the Shadow Dragon Slayer. The description of events that I gave was mostly true, although I wasn't going to admit willing that it had been because Natsu and I were caught in a compromising position that we had been forced to reveal our relationship to others.

Rogue and Gray both seemed intrigued to hear that we had told others about our relationship. "So you ended up giving the game away, and in such a short amount of time" the dark-haired Ice Mage stated with a tone that lay somewhere between jovially friendly, and worried.

Taking note of the way Gray spoke I smiled. "Don't worry, I only told them about me and Natsu, you two are safe" I reassured Gray, who I noticed relaxed slightly. Rogue smirked.

"Did Minerva and Yukino both agree to keep quiet?" he asked in a voice that almost sounded amused. I pouted.

"Yes, in fact Minerva was more concerned about how this could affect the guild, so don't worry about that" I replied to the Shadow Dragon Slayer, who chuckled.

"That's very much like her. I take it Yukino agreed to finish _your_ work for you, so you two could get here early?" Rogue commented, earning grins from both me and Natsu.

"Yeah, she's so helpful, as always" I smiled. Natsu rested his head on my shoulder.

"Thanks to her me and Sting get to be here for most of the day" Natsu beamed. Rogue and Gray looked between us for a moment, before looking to each other.

"You two are so obvious, it doesn't surprise me" the both said in unison. I blushed slightly at the comment, and was about to respond, when I noticed the odd look Natsu was giving me.

"I like that people know" he said, "And that they are okay with it" he added.

I laughed, before noticing the weakening glow of the coals set into the sauna. "Me too, now… it looks like it's time for us to be getting out. Unlike you two, Natsu and me need to go get ready for the buffet, and then… other stuff" at that last bit I earned a sly smile from the pinkette.

Rogue rolled his eyes at me. "Alright then, just make sure that you two don't spend too much time awake, you're both supposed to be leaving for Magnolia in the _morning_ remember" the Shadow Dragon Slayer stated. Gray huffed.

"Does that mean you're gonna cut our fun short too?" the Ice Mage whined at Rogue. The black-haired Mage immediately turned his head to his own boyfriend just as Natsu and I ducked out of the wood-panelled sauna room.

As we closed the door, all we could hear was Rogue trying to pacify Gray, as the Ice Mage continued to complain about their apparent lack of sex. Natsu grinned at me as we walked away from the saunas and back towards the lockers where our clothes were being kept. "That's one problem we're not gonna have, right?" he smirked wickedly.

I nodded enthusiastically. "The day I refuse to have sex with you, is the day I take you on a surprise skiing holiday to hell" I giggled back to Natsu under my breath, earning even more laughs from the pink-head.

After that we changed, and then laughed our way all the way along to the buffet hall where we enjoyed many delicious meals.

/

A little while later, Natsu and I fell through the inn room door already tangled up in each other's arms. "Mnph… Natsu…" I breathed, as I kicked the door closed and pushed the pink-haired male up against it. "That was… close. If anyone had walked by they woulda seen us" I added, with a tone that, whilst warning, also invited the Fire Dragon Slayer to try the same trick again.

Natsu smirked at hearing this. "I didn't notice you _stopping_ me from kissing you" he replied in an overconfident, cocky tone as his hand brushed over my exposed muscles.

I shrugged. "You took me by surprise, but couldn't you have waited until we were on _this_ side of the door to do it" I defended, before kissing Natsu again in a short pause.

Natsu continued smiling. "But if I had done that, then I wouldn't have gotten to see you all cute and flustered" the pinkette commented. I did not reply, and Natsu used this momentary silence to continue his slight mocking. "You were also really cute, reaching for the door, whilst also holding me _close_ …" he added in a luscious whisper, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me the short distance between us so we were pressed together as he emphasised that last word.

I gave a slight chuckle, before kissing Natsu. "Alright, you made your point" I stated. Natsu chuckled victoriously, kissing me back, tongue pressing at my lips to beg entrance into my mouth. I decided to give in, opening my mouth to allow the Fire Dragon Slayer entrance. Our tongues slid over each other in a short battle, whilst I slid my arms around Natsu's body, one hand rubbing circles into the pinkette's lower back, the other taking a firm hold of the pinkette's butt. "Natsu…" I breathed heatedly, before trailing a few stray kisses down the pinkette's neck.

"You wanna… go to the bedroom?" Natsu asked back, as he threaded his fingers in my hair, his other hand gripping my shoulders.

I smirked, before grinding against the pinkette's hardening member a little, earning a strangled moan from Natsu. "You that desperate?" I commented. Natsu chuckled slightly, a dark sound that cut through the moans that were edging their way up his throat from my grinding.

"Do you have to ask?" he replied with a surprising amount of confidence in his voice.

I smiled wickedly before shaking my head. "No, come on" I said, before unravelling myself from around Natsu and instead taking his hand as I led him towards the bedroom.

Natsu didn't stop smiling all the way to the edge of the bed. "Hey Sting…" he said suddenly, as I stopped at the edge of the bed. I turned to look at Natsu, then suddenly I felt a pressure being applied to my chest. "Let me be on top tonight" Natsu then stated, as he crawled onto my lap.

I raised an eyebrow. "You wanna top?" I asked him, checking before we proceeded with anything further.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, I've been wanting to do it for a while" he responded in a voice that ensured I wouldn't be able to say 'no'.

With a bright smile, I shrugged and pulled Natsu down for a kiss. "Do what you want, my sexy little fireball" I chuckled.

Natsu smiled, then pouted. "I'm not little" he defended. I smirked.

"Okay then, my _tiny_ fireball" I corrected, earning a sigh from the Fire Mage.

"Just… shut up" he responded with mock-tiredness, kissing me to prevent any more comments from coming out of my mouth.

/

"Mm… what made you want to top?" I asked as Natsu pushed me up the bed. Natsu smirked, but did not reply, instead trailing kisses across my neck. It was hot to see the Fire Dragon so into it, his body arched over mine, with on hand firm on my abs to keep me down whilst he attacked my neck.

"Just… wanted to" Natsu replied, before nipping at a particularly soft spot on my neck.

"Ah… mmn…" I breathed in surprise. Before we got to our room I had already made a few plans about what Natsu and I _could_ do tonight, however the pinkette had smashed all of those ideas out of the park with this simple suggestion. Natsu chuckled darkly at the noises he was making me give, before he began moving his hand further down my body. I felt the action, and smiled before I decided to try something. With one hand absently playing with Natsu's hair, resting on the back of the pinkette's head, I used the other to massage down the Fire Dragon's spine, before reaching the edge of his waistcoat. Natsu seemed to notice the move from the slight movement of his body, however he did not stop what he was doing, edging lower and lower down my body with his mouth; now he was kiss around my chest, getting close to the first area I _knew_ he would attack. As Natsu's mouth neared my left nipple, I used the hand I had placed by the edge of his clothes to carefully begin sliding his waistcoat off, to reveal the perfect body beneath. _I've gotten to see him practically naked all day, but only now do I finally get to touch that body…_

Natsu threw the piece of clothing aside as I felt his tongue carefully begin to slide over and around the bud. "Agh…" I muttered slightly. Natsu smirked wickedly.

"This is for all the times you've done this to me" he laughed darkly. I raised my eyebrows.

"If that's the case you need to do it more, I've done this quite a few times you know" I replied in an equally as dark tone.

Natsu laughed, before continuing his attack. As the pinkette did this, his other hand came up to the other nipple, to play and tweak it between his index finger and thumb. I gave into the sensations and lay back into the bed, one hand coming up to fixate itself to the back of the Fire Dragon's head, gripping the hair there weakly. Natsu noticed my relaxed posture, looking up my chest to meet my downward gaze. "Sting… top" he said in between flickers of his tongue. I smirked, _he's both cute and hot looking up like that_ I thought, before obliging to his request.

With one deft movement I removed my clothes, so I lay shirtless before the pinkette. "Better?" I asked him, knowing what his response would be.

"Yeah" Natsu muttered, finishing his assault on my nipple, before moving lower down my body. Natsu kissed a trail down, down to the edge of my trousers. Looking up once more, the pinkette had eyes full of mischief, an unasked question on his lips. I nodded slightly, without really realising, which caused Natsu to smile; he then undid my belt and began sliding the clothing piece down my legs until it came off. Then, with only my underpants left, the pinkette crawled back up my body to make out some more. Sloppy kissing leaving us each breathless, Natsu smiled contently. I slid my hands down his body to his own trousers, before raising an eyebrow expectantly. The pinkette nodded, and I undid his belt and began to remove his trousers much in the same way as he had removed mine. Once they got a little too low for me to reach, however, Natsu just kicked them the remainder of the distance, sending them into a crumpled pile somewhere around the room along side all our other clothes. Natsu kissed me once more, before palming my hardened member through the fabric. "Want… me to… remove them?" Natsu asked in a lewd tone, in between heated kisses. I nodded.

"Yeah… let's do it together" I replied. Natsu nodded in agreement, before reaching down to tug at the hem of my underwear. I grabbed Natsu's from behind, then with a short kiss we both pulled them off of each other.

Laying naked, I couldn't help but sweep my gaze over Natsu's body. "Looking good as always…" I commented. Natsu chuckled.

"Just don't forget that tonight it's me who's gonna be the one doing it" the pinkette stated, with a tone of authority. I shivered slightly at hearing that voice coming from my boyfriend.

"I know…" I responded excitedly, before leaning in close to his ear. "So why don't you start, instead of just palming my cock" I added in a challenging tone, knowing this would spur the pinkette to action.

Natsu smiled confidently. "If you want it so badly" he began, before giving me a quick kiss, "Then why should I refuse to give you what you want?" he finished with a cocky wink. With one more kiss Natsu began crawling down my body once again, placing haphazard kisses every so often to remind me just where he was heading. The last kiss fell right below my belly button, before the other Dragon Slayer got to where he intended.

Natsu stopped at my cock and looked up to meet my gaze as he took the head into his mouth, causing me to moan faintly; there was no way I was gonna start loud, that was be just a little _too_ submissive. He engulfed more of the length into his mouth, flicking his tongue against the tip of the shaft, and eliciting such a rude noise out of my throat that it surprised even me. _It's only been a couple of days since we last fucked… maybe going into that spa wasn't such a good idea_ I thought to myself. Natsu kept going, sucking and flicking down as much of the length as he could, making as much noise as he could. I could not believe how hot Natsu looked, going down on my cock, even though this wasn't his first time it was still so satisfying to watch. I moaned, running my fingers through the Fire Dragon's pink locks, which earned a confident chuckle from the pinkette. The vibrations caused me to moan even louder as soon it became too much; the delicious sensations being delivered by Natsu's laughter around my cock causing increased pleasure. I noticed then that Natsu began touching himself, moving his hand in time with the bobs of his head.

"Na-tsu… that's… good" I mused in between a pleasure-induced gasps. The pinkette smile wickedly, not losing his pace for a second. The pleasure built up in my cock until I reached my threshold. "I'm close… Natsu" I warned the Fire Dragon, not really expecting him to stop, although he did.

"Good" he said in an amused tone. I furrowed my brows in sudden surprise as the pinkette removed the hardened member from his mouth and knelt up. "It'd be boring if you came too soon, right?" he asked rhetorically, as he noted my facial expression.

I gave a pout to show that I disagreed with him on this, however I let him continue with whatever he wanted to do. "Fine, what's next on your little scheme for tonight?" I asked in a more amicable tone. Natsu chuckled darkly.

"Well… do you remember that time we fucked in my bathroom?" he replied coyly. I thought for a moment, before smirking slightly.

"You mean…" he nodded, before sliding a hand down my arm to clutch at my wrist.

"Yup" he confirmed, before moving my hand up to his mouth to suck on the digits. Thoroughly coated he removed them and raised an eyebrow questioningly, giving me my orders. I gave a wicked grin.

"Well… alright" I stated, before rearranging myself so I could do as Natsu requested. The pinkette seemed to revel at the sight, however I did not give him any cocky response; I was too intrigued by the face Natsu was pulling to ruin the moment with something like that at this moment. "Okay, I'm gonna do it now. What are you gonna do though?" I asked the Fire Dragon Slayer, who chuckled again.

"I'm just gonna… have a little fun" he smirked mischievously. I wondered what this could mean for a moment, before deciding just to let Natsu have his fun and do what I needed to.

With no further delays, I slid the first of my slickened digits inside myself. "Haaa…" I groaned at the newer sensation.

The new feeling was not unpleasant, nor particularly unfamiliar; _It'd be a lie if I said I hadn't done something like this before, but that was… by myself_ I thought with vague amusement remembering my time before Natsu, before I came to Fairy Tail. As I remembered the feeling Natsu began lying down on top of me again. With one hand, the pinkette tweaked my nipple, whilst the other brushed through my hair. He kissed me, heated and passionate. "You actually look… kinda hot doing that to yourself" Natsu whispered with a lewd tone.

I grinned. "Why'd you think I got you to do it?" I replied with a cunning voice. Natsu laughed.

"I suppose that's true" he stated, before sliding the hand he had on my chest down to my member. "Well then, guess I should make this even better for you" he added, before giving a few strokes of the hardened length.

"Agh… that's b-better" I smirked. Natsu didn't give another response after that as he began to kiss yet another trail down my body. After about half a minute, I could feel his mouth around my cock once again. "Hah… ah… Natsu" I moaned involuntarily at the feelings of pleasure emanating from my lower body. I added another digit into my ass, whilst concurrently I used my free hand to apply a little pressure to the back of Natsu's head, making him go deeper on my member. "Agh…" I gasped at the feeling of the Fire Dragon's hot, tight throat around my member. Natsu moaned reflexively as I took the more dominant position momentarily, my cock moving much more forcefully as I thrust into the Fire Dragon Slayers awaiting mouth. "Ahh… Na-tsu…" Natsu moaned in tones muffled by the invading presence of my dick.

"S-so good… so hot… and tight" I moaned alongside Natsu, as my self-fingering began to move in a lot more forceful pattern, my fingers scissoring with each thrust I delivered into Natsu's mouth. After a while I reached his limit, I gave only a strangled few gasps, along with a more sporadic burst of thrusts, before coming directly into the pinkette's mouth. "Haaah… ah… coming… Natsu. Natsu!" I panted loudly as he filled the pinkette's mouth with my seed. I rode out my orgasm, and only when I was spent did I remove the fingers from my ass. "Sorry… I know you didn't want me to come yet but…" Natsu held up a hand to my mouth to silence me.

"It's fine, I figured you would come from that. I know what it feels like, remember?" the pinkette laughed, before leaning in close. "But now it's my turn, okay?" he added seductively. I nodded faintly, before moving to kiss Natsu, tasting myself on his invading tongue.

"Alright" I stated. Natsu smiled, before kneeling up off of the bed, to reach for the lube that he had stashed away in his trouser pocket. Opening up the bottle, he applied some to his own aching member, before squirting some into his hand. A flicker of flame later he applied the heated lube to my butt. "Ha… that's actually pretty fucking hot" I gasped in surprise. Natsu frowned.

"I didn't use too much magic, it shouldn't have heated it too much" he stated. I shrugged.

"It just surprised me" I commented, before grinning, "But don't worry, it's not bad, and it doesn't hurt so it's fine" I added. Natsu chuckled, before finishing his application of lube, then he closed the bottle and tossed it aside. With one last quick kiss the pinkette smirked.

"Let's fuck" he said.

/

Natsu lined up his cock with my now prepped hole, before he smiled. "Alright, I'm gonna go in slow, all in" he stated. I nodded, and as I tried to relax, Natsu entered me for the first time.

"Ahhhh…" I moaned loudly, as the slight burning pain of being entered filled his system. Slowly, just as he said he would, Natsu buried himself right up to the hilt and then waited on me to give the go ahead for him begin to move. With the vague preparation I had received, the pain was lessened, however it still hurt a little to have Natsu's full length inside me. After a minute or two I smirked at Natsu. "It's alright…" I said with as much confidence as I could muster. Natsu smiled, before he nodded.

Without anything left to stop him, and the feeling of my insides obviously quickly taking any sense he had left, since the pinkette had yet to do so much as touch himself, Natsu moved.

He pulled his hips back and forth, increasing his pace as he found a steady rhythm. With each thrust I moaned, my member hardening again as the feeling of heat and pain in my ass was washed away with pleasure once more. "Ah… ghah… Natsu" I breathed.

"S-Sting, so… good" Natsu panted.

After a few experimentally angled thrusts, which proved the pinkette still had some elements of self-control, I felt the most explosive release shake my body. "AHH… there, fuck! Natsu, there, you got it!" I moaned with more volume than any of my previous noises, not caring if anyone heard us; after feeling that once I _had_ to feel it again. I noticed Natsu smile, before he began to bore down on that spot with each of his thrusts.

As each thrust came harder and faster, it was not long until I was ushering nothing but pleasured moans out of my mouth uncontrollably. I saw Natsu through lust-lidded eyes, a vague flicker of amusement passing over my mind as I noted how sexy he looked, with his face contorted into a pleasured smile, his muscles slickened by droplets of sweat from all the activity. Unfortunately, our pleasure, whilst great, was short-lived. "Sting… I think I'm gonna come" Natsu barked out in amongst another few moans. I nodded.

"Yeah… m-me too" I replied breathlessly, "Let's do it together". The pinkette grinned.

"Okay" Natsu agreed. After a few more erratic thrusts, Natsu came over his and Sting's stomachs. "N-Nah… Natsu…Ah!" I gasped as ropes of hot white seed escaped my cock and covered both our chests, white spots dancing before my eyes, the world spinning.

I felt Natsu's cum fill me, as he rode out his own orgasm to completion. Fully spent, the pink-haired male pulled out and flopped down onto the bed beside me, panting. "That was… fuck… that was great" he puffed.

I nodded, moving over to capture Natsu's lips in one last passionate kiss. "Yeah it was. I didn't think it'd be so great to swap things around" I agreed.

Natsu smiled brightly. "I… just wanted to try something new for our last time together… for a while at least" he stated. I gave a wide-eyed response hearing this.

"You mean you did this to make it different?" I asked. Natsu nodded.

"I was just… I worried you might forget how this feels if we're apart for too long" the pinkette commented with a little embarrassment. I sighed happily hearing Natsu speak like that; although it annoyed me too.

"Natsu..." I breathed, before leaning in close, "I won't _ever_ forget what it's like to be with you, like this, or like anything else. I love you, so I won't _let_ myself forget this" I stated passionately. Natsu smiled warmly upon hearing this.

"I know, I love you too" he replied, a note of sleepiness touching his voice.

I smirked at the comment, before sliding in close, wrapping my arms around his warm torso. "So, with that settled… wanna go for another round?" I asked him. Natsu smirked back, all the sleepiness gone immediately as I ghosted fingers over his perfect body.

"Yeah, we still got plenty of time tonight to do stuff, right?" he commented. I laughed.

"We've got as long as you want, my horny little fireball" I chuckled back.

"Hey" Natsu barked in a warning tone, "I'm _not_ little".

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, how about tiny?" I stated sarcastically; Natsu narrowed his eyes at me. I smiled. "Alright, is _hot_ okay?"

"Hmmm… okay, I'll let you call me your hot fireball" he said more enthusiastically.

I nodded. "Yup, from now on I'll call you my hot little fireball" I confirmed. Natsu groaned.

"Stiiiing!" he whined annoyedly.

I laughed once more, before kissing the pinkette sweetly, a little lingering heat starting to build up inside me once more, turning quickly into a roaring flame that wanted only to claim the hot body beside me. "I'm only joking, now come on… I believe we were gonna fuck again" I stated. Natsu nodded.

"Yes" he agreed, before kissing me back, "But can we _not_ use those nicknames again… please" he added firmly. I chuckled and shrugged my shoulder.

"Whatever you want, I'll do" I stated pleasantly, before beginning to trail kisses along Natsu's body. The pinkette warmed to my touch quickly after that.

Not long after we fucked once more, this time in our more usual positions, then we slept. The following day Natsu left for Fairy Tail with Gray, leaving Rogue and I alone, with neither of our boyfriends around to have any kind of fun with. _Damn it, this is gonna be a very boring time…_

/

 **Magnolia Town, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

The time passed slowly without Sting around. Initially, after arriving back I decided to take Happy on an extra-long fishing trip to Hargeon. The exceed had been excited to go since we had spent little time together in the recent few months, especially with both Sting and the debt hanging around the guild.

After a few days at the port town, however, we both grew tired and returned home. The following week was spent on a job Lucy picked out for us, with Gray and Erza also coming in tow. Whilst I didn't mind the job itself, being back around the Ice Mage annoyed me greatly, especially when he started to make thinly concealed references to my relationship with Sting during a game of truth-or-dare that Erza strong-armed us into playing one night.

It was only with the help of Happy, that I managed to prevent any word of Sting getting out, something for which I knew I would have to repay the feline at a later date, presumably with an enormous payment of fish.

Despite it all, I couldn't really complain about the time spent away from Sting, since it was pretty much how I had lived _before_ getting together with the White Dragon Slayer. All the same, by the time the letter arrived announcing Sting's 'formal' visit to Fairy Tail, I found myself excited beyond what even I had expected. Then it was just a matter of waiting.

"He's coming today, I wonder if I should get him a present?" I chattered to Happy as we strode through the streets of Magnolia. It was still pretty early and there were few people about. This was about the third day in a row where I had woken early for no apparent reason, and headed down to the guild only because there was nothing really for me to do in my own house.

"Don't you think he'd just be happy to see you, Natsu?" Happy replied in a slightly bored tone; the exceed had probably heard just about every thought I had had about the blond since receiving his letter a week ago. I pouted in thought, debating the exceeds argument in my head. Happy grinned at seeing my 'thinking' expression. "You're really thinking hard about this? Be careful, or you might get hurt" Happy chirped mischievously. I frowned at the magical cat upon hearing this.

"I _can_ think you know, now what do you think would be a good present? Food?" I looked to Happy, silently asking his opinion. The exceed just sighed.

"Natsu, since you got that letter you've not gone on a single job just in case Sting showed up early and you weren't there. If you really wanted to get him a present, it'd have to be something really cheap, because right now we barely have enough for food" Happy stated with a dry, more realistic tone to his voice.

I sighed in agreement with him. "I suppose you're right… but what about if we managed to get Lucy to give us some money?" I asked the exceed. Happy rolled his eyes.

"Give you money for what?" a voice suddenly chimed, causing both Happy and I to turn and look at the source.

"Oh, hey Lucy" I greeted the Celestial Spirit Mage.

"Hi. Now what was this about asking me for money?" the blond stated in a more abrupt tone of voice. _Why does she always get like this when she overhears her name in a conversation… and why is she always so stingy with her money_ I thought to myself annoyedly.

I pouted in thought for a moment, trying to work out how I could lie and avoid telling Lucy about me and Sting. This did not work well. "Oh… well… I kinda need some money… for… er… food?" I said the first thing that came to mind.

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. "If you need food so bad why don't you get a job, I haven't seen you even look for one for over a week now" Lucy said in an exasperated tone as we all began heading towards the guild together.

"Well, I _could_ get a job but… I just… don't… want to" I said in an unsure tone of voice. Lucy did not seem to buy this, since her scent told me she was suspicious, however she brushed it off anyways.

"Whatever, do what you want guys, but I'm gonna go a get a job. We still haven't dealt with the debt yet, so the guild can't go giving money to you either, and that also means we get less money from jobs still" Lucy commented. I nodded in understanding of this, however I didn't say anything for a little while.

As the guild began to come into a view a thought popped into my head. "Hey, speaking of the debt, Edric and Arthur and the others haven't been here in a while" I stated observantly. Lucy pouted upon here this, as if considering it for herself. After a moment, she gave a puzzled look of agreement.

"That's true. Kenji and Haruki are never at the guild together either, it's usually just one of them or the other… I wonder if their 'family business' is doing something?" Lucy said. I shrugged. _They left when Gray and I got back from Sabertooth and haven't been here since… maybe… maybe those five people did something?_ Vague memories of the night when Arthur, Sting, Gray, Rogue and I stood against them filled my head. I scowled, the same old annoyance at being tricked like that returning to me like a bad nightmare; unfortunately, I couldn't tell anyone at the guild because of the secret nature of the job, so I kept this information to myself.

As we neared the guild I suddenly stopped, a strange sense of deja-vu hitting me as two mixed scents collided. "Wait…" I mumbled, surprising both Lucy and Happy.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Happy asked in a concerned tone of voice. I frowned, before looking around the half-full market space before us, my eyes instantly locking onto the one person I could always sense a mile off.

"Hey Sting!" I barked, bounding through the small groups of people here and there, scattering them as I made my way over to the Dragon Slayer. Sting immediately spun on the spot as he heard me call.

"Natsu!" Sting beamed back at me, "Long time!"

I smiled brightly as I almost went to kiss the blond but stopped just short and instead hugged him. Sting accepted the gesture quickly, and we broke apart before anyone (hopefully) noticed what happened. "You're here early" I commented upon moving off of and away from the White Dragon Slayer so I could get a better view of him. Sting rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I kinda left town early to get here, and well… I guess it didn't take me as long to get here as I thought" Sting commented, just as Lucy and Happy arrived.

"Oh… it's you Sting" Happy said in mild surprise. Lucy smiled at the Sabertooth Guildmaster.

"Hello Sting" she greeted the blond, before looking more severely in my direction "Natsu, I thought something was up, if it was just Sting then all you had to do was tell us" she scolded me. I smirked sheepishly towards her.

"Sorry…" I mumbled, before shooting Sting a slight look to apologise for ruining our first moment together in a few weeks by having other people tag along. Sting just grinned at me.

"Hiya Lucy, Happy" he shot smiles at each of them, "If this it though, can we get going to the guild, I've got something pretty important to tell Master Makarov" he stated with a slightly more serious tone. "I assume you're all heading off towards the guild?" he added after a moment. I nodded vigorously, however Lucy shook her head.

"Actually, I'm going to somewhere _close_ to here, but not the guild. Cana was going to try and show me something" Lucy stated, with a faint note of apology in her voice.

Sting continued to smile, before shrugging. "That's alright, this was just a chance meeting anyways, right?" he asked, almost directing this inquiry towards me.

Lucy smiled and nodded. "I suppose that's true. Alright, I guess I'll see you guys later" she stated, before making a move to leave. After a moment, she turned back to our group. "Oh, and don't forget to take a job Natsu, if you need money so bad" she added, before finally deciding to leave. I rubbed the back of my head and grumbled a reply as Lucy disappeared into the growing crowd of people.

As soon as she was out of sight, Sting turned to me with a wide, leering grin on his perfect face. "So, what's this about money then, _Natsu_ ~?" he asked me in a sing-song voice. I blushed for a moment as he asked this, however it was Happy who answered.

"Natsu wanted to buy a present for you, he's been so excited since you told him you were coming" the exceed giggled loudly as he floated near my shoulder. I sent daggered glares toward my partner to cover my embarrassment Sting began laughing loudly as he heard this.

"Awww… that's so cute Natsu!" he chuckled. I held my hands up to quiet the White Dragon Slayer.

"Sting, not so loud, there's people here" I stated, trying to quiet the blond.

Sting did quiet down, however he still continued to grin widely. "He, alright… but seriously, that's super cute, almost as cute as when-"

"I'm not cute!" I barked.

Sting raised an eyebrow questioningly, however he said nothing in response to it, instead opting to change the topic. "Fine. Come on, I really do need to get to the guild" he said, gesturing for me and Happy to accompany him.

I followed along a little begrudgingly at first, my anger at being called cute lingering, however not for long; soon, the sheer happiness of being able to just walk side-by-side with Sting took my anger away. "Hey Sting," I said as we walked, earning the other Dragon Slayer's attention, "Did you come here with Arthur, or Edric… or anyone else from that family?" I asked him. Sting pouted for a moment, before frowning.

"No, why?" he inquired curiously. I looked around suspiciously, the guild now no more than a couple of feet ahead of us. And quiet, very quiet. _Why does it feel like this has happened before?_ Suddenly a memory filtered into my mind. Sting seemed to notice my unease, and gave a quizzical look. "What's up Natsu?" he asked me.

I frowned. "It's too quiet, almost like that time the Zollzero guild showed up" I stated flatly. Sting frowned for a moment, before shrugging.

"Maybe they visited us for something" he stated in casual tone, "It's nothing to be too worried by" he added.

I was not convinced. "Just come with me" I stated.

/

We entered the guild cautiously, however inside it seemed to be perfectly okay, everyone drinking and relaxing quietly. "Hey, is Arthur or Edric here?" I asked Maccao and Wakaba, who were sitting near to the door. The two older men looked at each other for a moment, before shrugging.

"We haven't seen them, but we haven't been here all morning, so they could've come in earlier" Maccao answered.

"See Natsu, there's nothing odd going on here" Sting commented, once more returning to a relaxed stance.

I looked around between Maccao and Sting, before sighing, my shoulder's sagging in defeat. "Alright… maybe I overreacted?" I admitted.

Sting patted me on the shoulder reassuringly, before walking off toward the direction og the Guild Master's office. I sat down at the bar to drink and wait for him to return.

Moment's later the doors to the guild exploded inwards, earning everyone's attention instantly, a few wizards even moving to take defensive stances. No culprit appeared for the destruction of the doors, however shimmering portals of red did open up in the empty expanse that had been cleared of tables and chairs by the inward collapse of the doors.

"Everyone, get down and get out!" Arthur barked immediately as he, Medea, Edric and Thomas, swiftly followed by Haruki and Kenji, all tumbled out of the red portals Arthur had created.

Despite their warning, nobody moved, everyone was just too confused by what was going on.

Just then, however, another voice cut through all the ruckus. "It's too late, children!" a man said, standing in between the gaping area where the doors had once stood. "For I am here now, and here I'm going to stay" he added smugly, voice like a knife.

I frowned, confused as to what had just happened. _Who is that man and why does Arthur look so beat up?_

 **End of Chapter 24**

 **Chapter Hint; Leadership and Challenges**


	25. Chapter 25 - Leadership and Challenges

**Chapter 25 – Leadership and Challenges**

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

The splintered remains of the doors of the guild hall lay discarded about the place, quickly forgotten in the face of a new, and unexpected occurrence. Natsu stood up at the bar, his muscles tense, his body ready to react should any need arise in the face of this new interloper, along with the familiar figures of Arthur, Thomas, Edric and Medea Zollzero, as well as both Kenji and Haruki Himura. The echo of Arthurs last barked commanded still echoed about the large hall. "Everybody get down and get out!" he had called only moments before a new figure arrived, standing in the looming archway that remained after the destructive explosion against the doors.

"It's too late, children!" the man had said, his voice cold and calculating, but with a hint of arrogant superiority. "For I am here now, and here I'm going to stay!" he added smugly.

"What is going on in here?!" the familiar bark of Makarov, Master of Fairy Tail, broke the momentary silence that settled in the wake of these sudden events.

Sting and the shorter elderly man both came out of the same side passage, having only just begun their discussion a few minutes ago. Sting hovered nearer the back, alongside Natsu, whilst Makarov boldly stepped forward before the man. "Who are you, what do you want?" Makarov snapped demands as he crossed the distance to come stand beside Arthur and the others.

"Master Makarov, I wouldn't go any nearer that man… it could be _bad for your health_ " Arthur warned as the tiny man passed him by. Makarov raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Why is that, who is he?" Makarov questioned the blond Spatial Mage. Arthur, however, just looked towards the individual, standing with a stoic expression on his face. All of the siblings seemed to wear the same flat, almost emotionless expression when facing this person.

" _I_ …" the man declared, "am the Patriarch of the Zollzero Family, and thereby head of the Zollzero group, as well as the Zero Star guild. Your debtor"

Everyone stood silent as the declaration hit each and every person in the room. Arthur sneered viciously at the statement. "Father…" he muttered annoyedly. Makarov noted the dejected, hateful tone the younger wizard used with interest.

Although the title was well known to the Mages of Fairy Tail by this point in their months of debt, having heard it referenced enough by both Kenji and Haruki, as well as the Zollzero siblings on their infrequent visits to the guild, the man before them did not seem to fit with anyone's mental images of the oh-so-terrifying man that the 'Patriarch' was supposed to be. Whilst most pictured a muscular, imposing giant that could strike fear into anyone with just a glance, they were instead being faced down by an extremely slight man in a suit, with only a few traces of musculature beneath the impeccably neat, and obviously expensive fabric being visible. In fact, the only particularly frightening thing about the Patriarch, was the coldness of both his glare and his voice, coupled with his almost militaristic neatness, from his neatly cropped blond hair, to his well-maintained, pointed moustache.

"Arthur, you disappoint me so, not that I should expect anything less" the Patriarch continued, deciding that it seemed unlikely that anyone was going to speak against him at that moment in time. "You dared to hide this… embarrassment of a deal from me. How dare you even _think_ to act on your own against my express will, and give _mercy_ to these foolish guild wizards. That debt represented the integrity of the whole Zollzero family, and you just went and ran all that noble honour of generations through the _mud_ by allowing these wizards to subvert the debt and even worse pay it off _over time_ " the Patriarch's tone moved from scolding to almost venomous as he belittled the eldest Zollzero Mage, and the guild, at the same time.

"But Father…" Arthur tried to interject, although he was stopped instantly; the Patriarch would have none of it.

"Silence!" he demanded, his mouth twisting into a cruel smirk, "I was not finished speaking".

"I think you are" Makarov finally decided to step in to this seemingly family-based affair. The Patriarch's green-blue eyes locked onto the smaller Master.

"Who are you to talk like that to _me_?" the Patriarch retorted, with a snide, vicious tone of voice.

At that tone, Makarov's whole body reeled, however he did not lose momentum. Instead the smaller Master began to grow, his body reaching heights well beyond that of the Patriarch. Looming above the man now, Makarov continued. " _I am the Master of this guild, you will listen to me when you stand within these walls, and you will not_ ever _silence me!_ " Makarov bellowed with all the fierceness and anger that he could muster. The Patriarch did not even flinch.

"I am well aware of who you are, _Master_ Makarov Dreyar, however you seem to be ignoring the debt that hangs over your guild; a debt that _binds_ you to us, the Zollzero Family. With that in mind, _you will be silent_!" the Patriarch met Makarov's tone like-for-like, equally as vicious and angry as the not-so-tiny man, but with a calm demeanour that left even the hardiest Mages a little unnerved.

Makarov gave a momentary look of annoyance. "This is still my guild. If you wish to speak do so in a less aggressive, more friendly manner. There is no need for either of us, or for your children, to become hostile to one another" Makarov stated, deflating his form in order to emphasize his point.

The Patriarch smirked, before Arthur spoke up. "Point well made, Master Makarov" the blond Spatial Mage commented, before narrowing his eyes towards the moustachioed Patriarch, "However, so long as _he_ is here, hostilities will always be necessary" he added firmly. Makarov gave a surprised looked towards Arthur, once again noting the hateful tone he directed towards his own father. _There is definitely something going on between them. Arthur especially seems to despise his father_ Makarov thought carefully, pondering on how to deal with precarious situation. _After all, if that man asks for the remainder of the debt we still owe, the guild finances will struggle to cover it… if we can at all…_

"Hmph" the Patriarch gave a bored sigh as he met Arthur's frosty gaze. "You have still so much to learn about the delicacy of diplomacy my son" he commented in a plain tone of voice, although that arrogant undertone was still present.

Makarov frowned. "If there is something going on within your family it does not concern our guild, so please do not use this place to take out your frustrations" the tiny man tried to keep command of the situation, despite it seemingly following a more private dialogue between the Patriarch and Arthur.

"I suppose you are correct" the Patriarch remarked, before smiling wickedly, "If you are so willing to return to the matter at hand, however, then I would request you hand over all the money you still owe us, _including_ that amount my son foolishly decided to remove from the total at that backwater Sabertooth guild" the Patriarch's tone wavered between being calmly level, and threateningly angry.

"But Father, that was because of the assistance these guilds gave us in combating, our _other_ problem" Edric intervened on behalf of the guilds. The patriarch swivelled his head to glare at his other son, his cold blue-green eyes staring to the very core of Edric's being.

"Assistance?" he muttered, "There is no _assistance_ these pathetic guild mages could give to _us_ ; certainly none that could merit such _mercy,_ or leniency. Are you suggesting that we sacrifice our family pride, just because someone participated in a plan of Zollzero design?" the question hung in the air, rhetorical, yet still seemingly seeking an answer.

"W-well… they di-d…" Edric stammered to answer in the face of his father's growing anger.

"SILENCE!" the Patriarch snapped. "I'm sick of your, or anyone else's excuse. You, Arthur, have clearly been influencing your siblings too much, giving them these pathetic _ideals_. I will have my money now, or perhaps I should take something of equal pride to this guild, to compensate for the familial pride _you_ , my failure offspring, sacrificed in this foolish endeavour" by the end of his speech the Patriarch wore a vicious grin on his face that left no one, especially not his children, with any doubt about his intentions.

It was also the point at which Arthur drew his own proverbial line. "Enough!" the blond Spatial Mage demanded, almost surprising his father, not that it would show on the man's face.

"Are you saying you would defy me, child?" the Patriarch's tone became eerily level in the face of Arthur's defiance.

Arthur just smiled. "I think… yeah, maybe I am" he stated confidently. The Patriarch just shook his head.

"Well then… I think it's about time I taught you a lesson, I don't think I've had a sparring match with you in quiet some time, Arthur" the Patriarch raise his hands in a mock fighting stance. Arthur just smiled, before shrugging off the deep blue suit jack he wore, folding it, and handing it to Medea, who took it a little unwillingly.

"Are you sure about this Arthur?" Medea asked her brother, just as he placed the jacket over her awaiting arm. Arthur smiled between his siblings, before nodding.

"Yes. If things go as we planned I will be fine… you do all remember the plan?" he winked at them. Edric and Medea smirked with mock confidence to confirm that they remember, whilst Thomas just gave a muttered 'yes', his faraway gaze already showing he was calculating Arthur' chances of survival in this show-down.

Arthur smiled and nodded towards them one last time, before turning back to his father. "Right, let's get this show on the road, Father. Kenji, if you would be so kind as to count us it, just for formalities sake?" Arthur and his Father both looked to the elderly sword-user.

Kenji nodded, before jumping up and onto a nearby table to 'oversee' this match. "Very well, on the count of three. One… two… three…" and like that the 'sparring match' that would decide the fate of the guilds began.

And somehow, neither of the two Guildmasters present had to step in, not that either of them wanted to.

/

The Patriarch continued to show a cocky smile as Arthur leapt the distance between them in moments, his Territory Magic allowing him to appear wherever he willed around his opponent. "You're going to deliver the first blow? You've always tried that same tactic ever since you were little, training against me" the older man stated amusedly.

Arthur scowled as his first three punches were blocked with ease by his father, the man delivering two jabs of his own in counter attack. "Hm… so far you haven't even tried to use your magic, father, are you unwilling to go all out versus your own son?" Arthur retorted smugly.

"You really think I even _need_ to use my magic against an opponent such as you?" the Patriarch commented with a growing laugh, "Do you forget that your power is identical to my own father, your grandfather? And you _know_ what happened to him" he added amusedly, before jumping up and doing a backflip to avoid a blast of Territory Magic from the frustrated Arthur.

Arthur growled, before using his explosive power twice more, each attack being easily avoided by his skilled father. "You only defeated grandfather because you tricked him. Although I suppose I should expect that from an assassin like you" Arthur muttered angrily, before teleporting behind his father in a futile attempt to score at least one hit; this was just met with a quick swipe of the Patriarch's leg to knock him off balance, the blow ultimately falling short of its target.

" _An_ assassin?" the Patriarch remarked in semi-believable surprise as he slashed his hand in a chop that had Arthur retreating to avoid it. "I believe I am more than just a simple _assassin_ , I am the _greatest_ assassin in Fiore, if not the world" the Patriarch corrected Arthur with a voice brimming with pride at his self-declared title. Arthur snorted before grinning.

"You know that isn't true" he stated, before shrugging, "Because you couldn't beat grandfather by yourself, and he _was_ the greatest assassin in the world" the Patriarch gave reviled look at this comment.

"Stupid brat, I killed my father so I _am_ the greatest assassin, the tools I used make no difference to this fact" he barked angrily, "And you could perhaps have been an equally as great assassin as I, had you heeded my training properly and shed those pathetic morals you so desperately cling onto. You and all your siblings" the Patriarch gave a momentary glance over to the area where Edric, Medea, and Thomas all stood, watching the small battle with deep interest; their very futures, alongside the futures of Sabertooth and Fairy Tail, were all invested in this fight.

"Hmph, you talk about training, yet you leave yourself open; I always remember you telling me never to look away from an opponent" Arthur muttered amusedly, earning a wicked grin from his father.

"Yes, and I also told you to make use of such opportunities, yet you haven't, such a shame too" the Patriarch stated despairingly. This made Arthur laugh loudly.

"You may want to revise that statement" Arthur commented back, before pointing downward. It was then that the Patriarch noticed the glowing red area beneath his feet. With sudden realisation as to what Arthur was planning the man growled, then Arthur opened up another portal above his head. "Have a nice fall, father" Arthur smirked confidently, just as his father began falling down into the red portal beneath his feet. With the portals bellow and above connected, the Patriarch could do little but glare angrily as he was caught in an infinite loop of falling from portal to portal.

Arthur used the brief opportunity his infinite-loop trick to prepare the next part of his plan. With Edric and Medea moving up beside him, the pair each took out a deck of playing cards, their magic funnelling into the objects. "You two ready?" Arthur asked his two siblings as they stood beside him, each facing the portal and watching with vague amusement as their father continued to fall through the space, over and over again. Every so often the man would bark out a profanity, or attempt to grab something and pull himself out, however the effects of gravity ensured his actions were futile; he was moving too fast to hope to pull himself out from trap.

"Yes, we're ready. We've ben ready for about five years" Edric stated sarcastically, as he threw up his cards into the air. With a snap of his fingers, the cards all transformed into weapons, fifty-two of them. Medea did the same, and with a short nod towards Edric the two began to move the floating weapons, a vicious-looking collection of swords, daggers, spears and maces, around the space where their father was still falling. "Alright, that's one hundred or so weapons primed, you can release him now, sweetie" Medea chirped up, in a sickly-sweet tone that only barely covered the violence promised in her words.

Arthur nodded in understanding. "Alright… now" he deactivated the floor portal first just before his father fell through it for yet another time. The man hit the ground with a hard-sounding thud. As Arthur closed the above portal, the Patriarch stood up, dusting himself off. "Well that was an annoying trick, but was your grand plan really just to make me fall for all eternity? Or did you think I'd get motion sick and surrender?" he said in a dry tone as he eyed up Arthur with an angry glare. The Territory Mage just laughed.

"That was just an exercise in time-wasting" Arthur smirked, before gesturing at each of his siblings, who stood to either side of him. "What you should really be focusing on right now, is the torrent of blades all ready to skewer you in a thousand different ways" Arthur commented cockily. The Patriarch raised an eyebrow amusedly, before giving a sweeping gaze toward the blades in each and every direction. "Hmm… that would only be one hundred and four different ways Arthur, don't exaggerate" the man commented vaguely, before his cold gaze settled back onto the three of his children that dared to stand against them.

Arthur gave a dismissive shrug. "I was just making an observation, however you've assumed that each weapon would only skewer you _once_ " he mused, before laughing, "But regardless, I think this is the end, father, and so I'll give you this _one and only_ chance; surrender and give up your control over both the Zollzero Family, and the Zero Star guild" Arthur's amused tone switched to one of seriousness as he gave his ultimatum. The Patriarch just smiled.

"You know what, no. I'm not going to surrender anything, bring on your murder storm, show me your resolve to kill me" the Patriarch declared. Arthur smiled, before looking between Edric and Medea.

"Well, you heard him" he stated. Edric nodded, before smiling.

"Alright, come on sis, let's do this" he stated.

Then they flung all the weapons toward their father, volley after volley of deadly blades that should be guaranteed to kill anyone, even someone as skilled as the Patriarch.

/

The Patriarch just smirked as the wave of sharp and pointy things drew closer. "You've underestimated me" he mumbled to himself, before raising an eyebrow. _But I suppose you have managed to make me use my magic, how annoying_ he added mentally, just as the first swords and spears reached the range the older man had been waiting for. With a final laugh, the Patriarch called on his magic, then in a blur of deft dodges, well-timed flips, kicks and other movements began dodging or redirecting the weapons, avoiding even his clothes getting the smallest cuts.

"Hmph… faster Edric, Medea, or else the sly bastard might just dodge them all" Arthur warned, his tone flat but edged with annoyance. Edric gritted his teeth.

"He's not just dodging, he's redirecting any close-calls to avoid taking a hit… fuck, couldn't he even pretend to be a little disorientated after that little loop-trick of yours, Artie" Edric cursed as he focused more of his power into controlling all fifty-two of the weapons to turn around and begin another round of volleys. Medea worn a mask of indifference, although her eyes burned angrily.

"I think it's time for plan B" she muttered, earning a nod of agreement from Arthur.

"Plan B?" Edric questioned. Medea smiled.

"Sorry love, just me" she stated, before clicking her fingers. Four weapons within the mess of blades turned back into cards and flew towards her await, upturned palm. "Alright, let's go boys, hurry up and get to it" she then stated in an impatient tone of voice. The cards seemed to shudder at the tone, before they vanished in a puff of magical smoke, three men and one woman standing around Medea in an instant. "My Lady called for us, all of us, is there some major disaster I was not aware of?" the golem of the Ace of Spades commented. Another golem smiled.

"Hmm… indeed. It seems to be that dull little guild I had to fight against a little while ago" the Jack of Hearts smirked, before sweeping his gaze around the building. "Although I fought _outside_ last time" he added in a jovial tone.

Medea frowned at the two males. "Can't you two read a situation, useless" she snapped, the strain of having to maintain four golems, along with the other forty-eight card weapons, making her easily irritable.

"There is no need to take such a tone with us, Lady Medea" the golem that represented the Queen of Diamonds snapped back, her quite pretty features turning immediately into a snide frown. "That is if you want our help" she added with a wicked tone. Medea sighed.

"Just hurry up and do it, you all know exactly why I picked you, so get to it. I can't maintain this for ever" she stated in a slightly more smiled tone. The King of Clubs golem nodded, before looking into the heart of the maelstrom of weapons, where the Patriarch still ducked, dodged and otherwise moved evasively.

"Okay, Lady Medea. We are all aware we are your elite unit, specially selected to vanquished that most heinous man, your Father. Enough chatter, let's fight!" he declared. Medea smiled at the King, before looking around the group who all rallied alongside the royal golem.

Moments later, Edric let out a heavy sigh. "Medea, if you're gonna do something, do it. I'm not gonna hold out much longer" the younger blond boy commented.

Medea smiled. "It's alright, recall your cards. We might need to use your power again if this fails" she stated.

Edric nodded, before counting down. "Okay, in three… two… one…" he then deactivated his magic and recalled the deck back to his hands. Now with only forty-eight weapons remaining floating static in the air, and four golems, Medea stood against her father.

Arthur smiled, before quickly opening up portals and depositing the four golems onto the four sides of their Father. "Now!" he called.

The golems nodded in unison, before beginning their assault.

The Ace was first to make a move, as he was the fastest of the group. Using his Speed Magic-like powers, he crossed the distance between himself and his quarry in moments, brandishing two spears in each hand, one of black energy and one of white light. "Hah, ha!" he barked, before sending the deadly tips careening towards the Patriarch, who just tutted.

"You disappoint me, Medea" he said, before using his own Speed Magic to deftly dodge to the side of the Ace, before delivering a chop to the back of his head that made him choke, then fall down unconscious. "That wasn't even that hard" he mused, before dodging two swords that were flung at him from the floating horde.

"Hmph… you've got to be tiring by now Father" Arthur commented, before using his own Territory to send a few blasts in a futile attempt to knock the Patriarch off balance. The King and Jack both took the opportunity to launch their own attacks in this window, too, however the heavy mace that the King launched was too slow to even come close to hitting the skilful Patriarch. "Too slow!" he chuckled, just before launching a kick towards the Jack of Hearts, before he could successfully bring up his dagger or short-blade to attack.

"Urk!" the Jack breathed heavily as the Patriarch's kick sent him sprawling to the floor, although he was quick to recover.

"Hm…" the Queen of Diamonds commented frostily, before she looked over to Medea. "This is unlikely to go well" she stated in a flat tone. Medea nodded.

"I know just… do something" she pleaded. The Queen smirked.

"Alright, how about this; Deep Freeze!" the Queen called out, before summoning forth a beautiful red, white and gold staff engraved with all manner of diamond-like designs. Pointing the diamond-shaped tip of the staff towards the Queen gave a wicked smile, before hundreds of (unsurprisingly) icy diamonds erupted forth, quickly covering the whole field between her and the Patriarch in frosty crystals. The Patriarch just smirked, before outstretching his hand; the crystals then were entirely redirected around his person to instead freeze the five other weapons that Medea had attempted to send into his blind spot. "Not good enough, although a magic-using golem capable of independent thought is quite impressive" he commented cockily. The Queen of Diamonds gave a frustrated looked.

"You-" she didn't get to finish her cursing as the Patriarch, with speed enhanced, covered the distance in an instant and deliver a similar strike to the one he had given to the supposed 'Ace' earlier.

"Be quiet!" he barked as left the female golem to fall to the ground.

The King of Clubs and Jack of Hearts both looked towards the second fallen golem with dismay, before their faces turned to masks of anger. "The Queen!" the said in unison, before charging towards the Patriarch.

"Wait!" Medea called out suddenly as the golems made their reckless charge. Unfortunately, her words fell on deaf ears as the Patriarch appeared quite suddenly in-between the last two summoned beings, before delivering a vicious combo of kicks and punches to each of them. With surprised gasps the final two golems fell to the floor defeated.

Now, left without anything more than the final few weapons that still stood, poised in the air around her, Medea gritted her teeth. "My… golems…" she breathed, her words coming out hollow.

The Patriarch smirked at his daughter. "They're just as weak as I remember, just like the first time you showed me your oh-so-impressive ability" he commented coldly, his eyes narrowing on Medea.

Medea stared back for a moment, before she gave an angered expression. Then, with one final curse she pointed directly at her father. "I will not be looked down on by you for one more _second_!" she barked. The Patriarch smirked as his taunt proved successful, beginning to slowly pick his way forward as the waves of remaining spears, blades and maces all came hurtling towards him from all directions. Standing only a few feet away from Medea, he grinner, before holding up his hands; at this distance it was practically impossible for even him to dodge all of the weapons. Instead, he stopped them with his other magic power.

"What?!" Medea gasped as she felt the resistance against her will over the blades cause them all to stop dead in mid-air, some barely a few centimetres from their target.

"This attack never would've worked, not with my Telekinetic abilities" the Patriarch commented, before smirking, "Although I'll admit it was a good work-out for my reflexes, I don't think I've had to dodge so many weapons since that time I assassinated that noble in Bosco, and had to flee all those soldiers that came after me" he added in a more wicked tone. Medea stood dumbstruck as her attack proved useless; with the last of her power, she tried to break the man's control, however she was too weakened by the prior effort, and ended up gasping, before falling to her knees in defeat. The weapons all turned back into their cards instantaneously as she did this.

With a satisfied nod, the Patriarch looked down towards her daughter, before beginning to make his way over, hand outstretched as if to pat her head. Arthur's eyes widened at the gesture, and in an instant, he used his Territory to switch the positions of himself and his father. The Patriarch gave a surprised looked as he quickly assessed what had happened. "You still don't want me to even touch her, my own daughter?" he asked his eldest child in a quizzical tone.

Arthur narrowed his gaze. "We both know if you had laid one hand on her, then at least _something_ in her body, weather it be a bone or a lung, would have been broken" he responded dryly.

The Patriarch continued to give his surprised look for a moment, before shaking his head and shrugging. "I suppose I should at least praise you for your assessment skills, however… I'm not going to let you escape punishment Medea, nor you Arthur, or you Edric. Not for your betrayal in this manner" the Patriarch commented sternly, before smirking.

Arthur was too slow to understand what the man's intentions were, as the Patriarch utilised his Speed Magic to come up beside the still seated Medea. The young woman didn't have enough time nor energy to even call out; however, she didn't need to, as not even a second later her father was propelled back by a blast of lightning.

"Two, One. Lightning Ray" Edric smirked as he strode over to Medea, hand outstretched to help her up whilst he held his dice in his other hand. "Need a hand" he grinned as he helped his sister up.

"Edric, you just managed to push him back…" Medea's tone was soft, full of surprise as Edric managed to land the first successful hit since he and Medea had joined in the small-scale fight.

Edric shrugged. "Just a lucky shot, he was distracted after all" he commented, before narrowing his gaze; their father got back up immediately, dusting himself off as if the lightning attack had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Indeed, just a lucky shot Edric, you damned opportunist" the Patriarch reiterated with a harsh tone. Edric grinned.

"Well, that _is_ how you taught us to fight; take each and every opportunity your opponent presents, right?" Edric smirked.

The Patriarch smiled. "Yes, I see you actually did heed some of my lessons, when you weren't off on your various _errands_ with Haruki over there. And don't think for one seconds I have not known about all that, you cannot hold any secrets from me" the Patriarch commented, before giving a slight glance over towards the Bullet Mage, who stood well out of harms way, beside his grandfather.

Edric's smile dropped as Haruki was mentioned. The Patriarch took this momentary lapse to his full advantage, and with one more speedy boost he propelled himself towards Edric and Medea at full force, intending to deliver a kick, however something stopped him, or rather someone. Arthur appeared instantly in the space between his siblings and their father, grabbing the man's leg before the blow could connect. "Enough. The fight was originally between me and you, leave them out of it" he hurled his demand, and his father, away.

The Patriarch kicked himself out of the hurled spin and landed perfectly, standing once more, with his back to the guild. "So, it's okay for you all to gang up on me, but not for me to fight you" he commented amusedly, before shrugging.

"Still… actually, I will not leave them out of this. In fact, I'm starting to grow tired of this whole affair. How about I just end this all in one go?" the Patriarch rose a daring eyebrow, stroking his moustache with his index finger as if he was only just now considering his options.

Arthur smiled at his father's actions. "Even you cannot stop me in just one blow" he stated confidently. The older man smiled.

"Are you sure about that?" he replied rhetorically, before assuming a more battle-ready stance. Arthur nodded.

"I think I am" he confirmed. The Patriarch shrugged.

"Very well… here is the one and only attack I need to win. Just know that you brought this one both yourselves, and everyone here in this guild" the Patriarch stated, before holding his hands up in the air as if he were praying to some heavenly deity.

Then the whole guildhall began to shake.

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

From my position amongst the crowd of silent spectators, I watched as Arthur, and then Medea and Edric, stood up against the Patriarch of the Zollzero family. After a few quite impressive displays of magical power, I was surprised that the older man was still standing, seemingly unaffected by the numerous spells that had been thrown at him.

In a particularly heated few comments between Arthur and his father, however, I noticed that things began to change. Instead of the scent of somewhat dampened magic, the Patriarch suddenly became wreathed in energy, so much so that my nose wrinkled in irritation. I noticed that Natsu beside me also became aware of the sudden change; his nose was more powerful than my own after all. Unlike me, however, Natsu went tense, like he was about to spring towards the Patriarch at any moment.

Attuned to the more impulsive nature of my boyfriend, I reached out a hand and lightly brushed my fingers against the knuckles of his closed fist. "Don't do anything too… stupid" I whispered to him.

Natsu shot me a warning glare. "But…" he quieted down immediately as I smiled at him.

"This is Arthur and the others helping us, don't jump in or else that guy might just turn his power on the guild; and I _know_ that you know he's powerful" I replied calmly, in a voice that I hoped was both soothing and discrete at the same time.

Natsu seemed to quiet down upon hearing this and we both returned our attention toward the Patriarch.

"Still… actually, I will not leave them out of this. In fact, I'm starting to grow tired of this whole affair. How about I just end this all in one go?" the man said in a wickedly venomous tone, stroking his thumb and index fingers over his moustache as he said this.

Arthur smirked back. Although the blond-haired Territory Mage had not seemed to have landed even one blow I could still feel some confidence radiate from his person, albeit dampened by the scent of fear and anger that pervaded the air around him; it was strong enough that Natsu and I could both smell it even across this distance. "Even you cannot stop me in just one blow" he stated with a confidence that I knew must be covering his own internal panic.

"Are you sure about that?" the Patriarch replied in a tone that belied his own overconfidence. I noticed Natsu tense once more at the man's words, his body forming almost a perfect copy of the battle stance that I noted the Patriarch had also taken.

"I think I am" Arthur confirmed, before raising his hands, spheres of Territory Magic forming around each fist, much in the same way I had seen them form on Minerva's hands many times. _He's gonna use some powerful spell, one stronger than the others he's used so far…_ I noted mentally.

The Patriarch did not seem perturbed by the confidence showing on his son's face. "Very well" he said, before giving a wicked smirk "Here is the one and only attack I need to win. Just know that you brought this one both yourselves, and everyone here in this guild" the Patriarch then held his hands up above his head, palms up like he was about to start praying.

 _What's he…_

My train of thought stopped as I noticed the first few tremors rise up from the soles of my feet. Natsu seemed to notice too, as he immediately began staring at the ground. "Sting… what's going on?" he asked me in a mildly concerned tone. I frowned.

"I don't… know" I replied, "But I think it's that guys-" I was cut off as a particularly large tremor shook the ground beneath me, and sent me, Natsu, and many of the other Fairy Tail wizards tumbling to the floor. Only Arthur and the Patriarch still stood, and Kenji I noticed in my peripheral vision.

"Father…" Thomas' voice resounded from the side-lines. The Patriarch did not even glance in his youngest child's direction.

"Father, you wouldn't" Arthur reiterated the same warning in a much sterner tone. The Patriarch smirked at this.

"I will, unless two things happen" he commented, "One; I want you and your dear brothers and sister to apologise, then… Two; I want you to personally take the remainder of the debt owned by these sorry guild wizards and give it to me" the man left no room for negotiation in his tone. I noticed Makarov begin to stand up, his face telling me he was about to argue back. With a slight smile to myself, I began to stand up too. _I suppose I should also say something as Sabertooth's Master_ I reasoned internally.

Before I could even be fully upright though, two sounds rang out. The first was a heavy, wooden groan, and the second was a barrage of attacks coming from the space all around the Patriarch. My mind reeling, I barely had time to shield my eyes as a large eruption of light came from the Patriarch's position. _That's the… same attack Arthur used… on Erza_ I thought, my mind dredging up the memories of our first meeting with the Zollzero's, and the subsequent four one-on-one fights that had occurred that day.

After the light settled I looked over, before coming to stand over by Makarov. "Did Arthur get him?" I asked the old man, who had been closer to the site of the attack.

Makarov grumbled something, before looking to me. "Yes, but… I don't think it's enough" he commented.

Looking back over I muttered my own curse. This was quickly met by laughter, as from the centre of the explosion, the Patriarch stood defiant, Arthur already down on one knee, obviously exhausted from the effort of using such an attack. "That won't work, Arthur" the Patriarch commented.

Arthur glared at the man. "You bastard…" he cursed.

The Patriarch grinned. "Now it's about time I brought this whole damned building down on your head as punishment from your insolence" he stated. Makarov and I both went wide-eyed hearing this, the old man immediately making a move to intervene in this dire situation.

"You can't do that…" the old Master began, before being glared at by the Patriarch.

"I can, and will. Master of Fairy Tail, your guild has refused to pay the debt imposed to you by we, the Zollzero family. In response I, the Patriarch, have decided that there is no more fitting punishment for the destruction you caused to our establishments, than to bring this whole place crashing down upon your head" the Patriarch stated, before smiling. "Accept this justice, and if you survive, your debt will be wiped" the Patriarch added.

I stepped forward. "Refused to pay? We have been paying!" I barked. The Patriarch glared.

"I will also be paying a visit to Sabertooth too, Master Eucliffe. I suggest you leave now and prepare your guild building for an equal destruction" the Patriarch retorted flatly.

I frowned angrily at the man. "You can't just go and destroy something like this. I… that is our guilds will not allow you, right Makarov?" I turned my head toward the little man.

He nodded. "Correct" he stated, before beginning to grow, "I will not allow anyone to harm this family!" he added boldly.

The Patriarch smirked momentarily, before giving a wicked expression, one hand going from it's upturned position to instead point directly at us. "Then your family will die here" he stated, before clicking his fingers. At that action I felt a great weight slam into me, forcing me back. I held my ground, although it was difficult; Makarov, in his giant form, did the same.

Realising that this must be the Telekinesis power I heard Arthur mention only moments earlier, I activated my White Drive, glowing scales forming on my body helping me to resist its effects, whilst bolstering my own strength and speed; at this point I had full intention of tackling this man myself.

Before I could take more than three steps forwards, however, the Patriarhc stopped his power, the trembling and groaning of the building subsiding immediately after, as the blond-haired man clutched at his arm. I could not see why he had stopped initially, however after a sweeping gaze around the room, I noticed Haruki Himura standing next to Kenji, fingers in an L-shape showing he had used his Bullet Magic. "Stop!" he declared.

The Patriarch snapped his head up to stare daggers at the teenage boy. "How dare you shoot at me, you imbecile!" the Patriarch roared. Kenji stepped in.

"I told him to, Lord Zollzero" the older Sword master stated, earning a more confused expression from the man.

"You did, Kenji?" he questioned. The grey-haired man nodded.

"Yes. In that action, and in my capacity as judge over yours and Master Arthur's duel, I have decided that you are endangering those outside of Zollzero matters, and as such I could allow this to continue. Thusly, I had Haruki stop the match in the most effective way possible" Kenji stated in his usual flat, unobtrusive voice.

The Patriarch glared at the sword-wielder for a moment, before grinning. "Kenji, you seem to forget to whom you are loyal. You _do not_ act against me in such a way, not so long as I am the Patriarch of the Zollzero Family" the Patriarch stated, before righting himself, his words dripped with venom.

Haruki seemed to get a little angered, I noticed, as their supposed 'boss' talked to his grandfather in such a manner. Kenji on the other hand did not seem effected at all. "I served under both you and your Father sir, and I am loyal to neither. My loyalty lies with the Zollzero household, and that means I must sometimes act against a Patriarch's orders if they are going to besmirch the honour of the great Zollzero Code of Honour" Kenji retorted.

The Patriarch completely lost his calm demeanour upon hearing this comment. "You dare to speak to me in such a way, and to lecture _me_ in our family's honour no less… I will not stand for this Kenji, by my right as Patriarch I will deal with this situation as I see fit" the Patriarch stated, before raising the same hand he had pointed to me and Makarov only moments ago, and instead directed it at the older man.

Kenji's face did not even twitch at the action, despite him obviously knowing what the Patriarch intended to do. "I have certain responsibilities as well, Lord Zollzero, as Guild Master of Zero Star, and the number one ranked wizard in said guild. I have made an oath to such an effect" he stated, unflinchingly, before drawing a blade from the two at either side of his person. The Katana blade immolated as soon as it was released from its sheath. "If I must stop you in person, so be it" he added calmly.

The Patriarch frowned angrily at the man, before giving a sweeping gaze around the room, I followed where he looked; first toward Edric and Medea, who both stood to one side, glaring angrily at their father, then to Thomas who had remained seated at a table on that had remained unscathed from the explosion that had sent both of the guild hall doors crashing to the ground upon the Patriarch's entrance. Then he looked towards Kenji and Haruki, who stood poised to fight should they need to. Then he looked towards me, and Makarov, and the rest of the guild behind us, who all would be prepared to fight should they need to, to defend their guild hall. With an angry sigh, the Patriarch finally looked to Arthur, who still stood ready to strike with his magic at any moment. "I cannot win" he stated emotionlessly, "Not against so many, although I could definitely bring this place crashing down before you, or someone else would kill me" he added, in a tone that suggested that he was already considering going down and taking all of us with him.

Arthur frowned. "You can always walk away Father, and leave this guild to us. They will pay what remains of their debt in time, and the Zollzero name will not be dragged through any mud" he said in a more rational tone to the many he had used previously in this encounter.

The Patriarch frowned. "You choose to side with these people instead of your birth rights namesake?" the question almost sounded genuine, before the man smirked. "Ridiculous, I will not allow for any more shame to be brought upon our family name. This is my last warning" suddenly the Patriarch resumed his 'praying' stance, the guild timbers groaning out in protest almost immediately. Arthur swore and called up a white portal, ready to fire its deadly ray at his own father; this proved to be an empty act, however, as Kenji was there instantly.

The Sword Master, with flame-engulfed blade in hand, plunged the katana precisely into the Patriarch's abdomen, blade being sheathed before it had barely even tasted any blood. "I have struck nowhere vital, and the wound was partially cauterised by the flames. You will not die, but as judge over this matter, I have prevented you from being able to continue" Kenji stated, looking down as the Patriarch doubled over into a little ball of anger, hate and malice.

I watched the moment with surprise; even with my White Drive and all my energy there was no way I could have covered that same distance so quickly, or delivered such a precise strike. _I've never see him fight but… Kenji must really be dangerous_ I thought.

As I thought this the Patriarch looked up. "Damn you… damn it all" he sputtered, a little blood becoming obvious as a growing red stain soaked through his once immaculate shirt.

"You did this to yourself, Father" Arthur commented. The Patriarch continued glaring, before slowly getting up from his knees.

"You have not heard the last of this, I will deal with this trivial wound and then… I will deal with this god damned guild, and finally… I will deal with you, you traitor. No, worse… instead I will banish you, Kenji, Arthur… ergh… Medea… Edric, Thomas and… and that brat Haruki" the Patriarch swayed on his feet for a moment. Arthur's gaze hardened as the Patriarch continued his damning speech.

"Father" Arthur began, before being silenced by one last glare from the Patriarch.

"Be silent!" the man barked, "I will… not have anything more said by you, I don't… wish to ever hear your voice again. I will leave… but I will return, and then you will regret it. And through banishment, perhaps you will learn to value… what it means to be a true member of the great Zollzero family" the Patriarch finished his speech then began to move to leave. Before he could exit the guild entirely, however, Arthur appeared before him one last time.

"Father" he said again, before leaning in close. I could not make out what he whispered, however it did not seem to move the Patriarch's position.

Then with that, Arthur created a red portal, through which his father stepped through. As it closed, he began to stride back inside, coming to stand before Makarov and me.

"I apologise for what has happened to your guild… however…" Arthur did not finish his sentence as he trailed off.

Makarov shrank back to his normal size, before he gave a grave smile. "I understand… perhaps… you and your siblings should come and rest in our infirmary, we may disucss the details of all this later, once you have rested" Makarov stated.

Arthur nodded in agreement, before bowing. "I… thank you Master Makarov. And you too Master Eucliffe. I will get the others and do just that" he stated.

As I watched Arthur move over to his siblings I looked toward Makarov. "It seems like my visit is going to be a lot more _interesting_ again… maybe I should stop coming here, that way this stuff shouldn't happen" I commented with a vaguely amused tone. Makarov chuckled.

"Well, it's not like this is your fault" he replied, before looking around at the semi-ruined state of his guild. "Although… any help you could offer us in helping us to clean up would be greatly appreciated" he added more realistically.

I chuckled. "I can always help out" I agreed, before I noticed Natsu come up to us.

He wore a serious expression. "Are you okay? Sting? Gramps?" he asked. I smiled.

"Yeah, don't worry. It was just a little bit of psychic power, nothing to worry about" I stated reassuringly, before looking to Makarov. The old man smiled.

"I'm fine too" he agreed. I smiled, before looking back to Natsu. _Although I don't know if I'd have been okay if Kenji hadn't stopped that guy from tearing down this whole building… and I don't even want to think about what Natsu'd have done if I had been injured… or worse, what_ I'd _have done if it was the other way around_ …

The pinkette seemed to sense my thoughts, as he immediately smiled. "I'm fine too" he whispered, as Makarov moved out of earshot to go and direct guild members to help tidy up the place.

I nodded. "That's good" I stated, before gesturing toward the nearest pile of tables and chairs that had been knocked over. "Now come on, let's go and tidy up. I need a drink after all that crazy stuff… why is it your guild is always the place where all the crazy stuff happens?" I asked Natsu rhetorically.

The pinkette just smiled. "Because we're fun" he stated.

I shrugged. "Well… I guess that's one way to look at it" I commented, before noticing Arthur, Edric and Medea, all clearly exhausted, moving over toward the corridor that led to the infirmary. _I don't think they'd call it 'fun' though… especially since their dad's just kicked them out…_

 **End of Chapter 25**

 **Chapter Hint; Banished**


	26. Chapter 26 - Banished

**Chapter 26 – Banished**

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

We waited for a little while before Makarov called Sting, myself, and several others into a larger room near to the infirmary. "I called you here because Arthur wants to speak with you" Gramps declared as we all huddled around.

"Is he going to explain what all that was about?" Gray asked in a relatively flat tone, still obviously confused about what went on before. _All I know is that they really hate their dad, and that he was waaaaay more powerful than he looked_ I thought to myself.

Makarov shrugged. "He hasn't said. You _will_ all remember to be respectful though, and listen. Although the situation may have changed some, the debt _may_ still affect our guild" the old man commented, a hint of threat in his voice as he spoke, especially when he emphasised how he expected us to behave.

We all nodded in unison, including Sting I noticed, before another voice cut in. "You don't need to be so formal" Edric stated with a weak smile, as he and Arthur entered the room, flanked by Kenji and Haruki. The group's entrance instantly drew in everyone's attention, and despite the relatively confined area that we all stood in, we parted to allow them through to the area where Makarov stood. "I see everyone's here, good. Thank you, Master Makarov" Arthur smiled politely toward the elderly leader of our guild.

Makarov nodded. "Alright, well… I'll let you say whatever it is you wanted to say, but then we need to discuss the debt and what your next move is" he replied in a relatively polite-but-firm tone. _That's Gramps for ya… we have to be all 'polite' but he can just go around and say what he wants_ I thought with a vague smirk, before flicking my eyes over to where Sting was stood. We had already decided it would be best to avoid being seen as getting 'too close' since with everything that had just happened it could get _complicated_.

Arthur nodded at Makarov's mandate, before turning to us. "That's fine, this won't take too long" Arthur confirmed, before glancing over our faces. From what I could see, the eldest of the Zollzero siblings seemed nervous, although he still held some air of leadership about him. "Okay… so, to get down to the point; that fight you saw between us and our father was done for two reasons. One, more obviously, it was done to avoid your guild having to pay the full debt in one lump sum… and two, it was to collect data on our father for our own plans" Arthur started, his voice calm, but edge with some concern.

"So, you staged that fight?" Erza, who stood at the front of our group, asked, her face a stony expression to wear down any opponent, including these Zollzero's.

Arthur frowned. "Not quite staged… we just used the opportunity as it arose" he corrected the red-head. Erza frowned further, as did many of us. _It looked real… and they definitely seemed like they were fighting for real_ I thought to myself.

"So, you weren't trying to kill each other?" Gray asked, standing beside Erza at the front.

"Oh, no, he was definitely trying to kill us. Or at least, he would have if we didn't stop that annoying spell of his" Edric snorted in a surprisingly upbeat tone.

Arthur sighed. "Edric, please keep your tone down" he said, before looking over to Gray, "Although, more seriously, our father really would have killed us, and all of you" he answered the Ice Mage in a more level tone than his brother.

I immediately narrowed my eyes upon hearing this. "He smelled strong, but there's no way he could beat all of Fairy Tail!" I called out from my spot in the crowd.

Arthur looked over the crowd until he locked eyes with me. "He could Natsu" Arthur stated flatly at me. I frowned.

"But he's only one guy" I barked in defence. Arthur shook his head; however, it was Edric that answered me.

"Natsu, you said he smelled strong, so you noticed his power up, right?" Edric commented, to which I nodded. "Well, that was because he tapped into his true power, or rather his _full_ power. You see, our father specialises in two magic-types. The first is Speed Magic, which he used to dodge my and Medea's attacks, and the second is Telekinesis, which he was going to use to bring this whole building down on our heads" Edric continued, before gesturing up toward the ceiling, as if it was the true enemy here.

I frowned. "We've fought guys with Telekinesis before, but we still won" I pouted. Edric smirked.

"Whoever you've fought, he probably wasn't half as strong as our father. You see, he is widely considered the greatest assassin of this time, and so couple that level of deadly skill with those two powers and he is nigh unbeatable. If he had wanted to, he could have killed us all with ease, just through one touch, although I doubt that would've been as entertaining for him" Edric stated with vague amusement, before glancing at Arthur, "Although we still picked a fight with him knowing that" he added with a bit more of a satirical hint in his voice.

Arthur nodded, before his attention drew out over the crowd. "Perhaps it may be easier to explain things in a bit more detail, to give you context" the blond stated, before raising his voice to a clear and audible level. "Our father is a tyrant in both our family, and the Zero Star puppet guild that we control. He has killed an uncountable number of people before, and he doesn't intend to ever stop, not so long as he prides himself as the greatest assassin in the world. Our family, however, was originally never meant to become what it is today, we have always been a clan of researchers, whose studies culminated in the legendary Zollzero Grimoire that holds generations of our research on magic and spellcraft. Within that book's pages there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of new ways to use magic, however we of the Zollzero family have hoarded this information since my great-great-Grandfather's time" Arthur paused for a moment to let this sink in, before continuing in a slightly more positive tone. "We, that is my siblings and I, seek to change things; however, first we have to deal with our father, the current Patriarch. As such, we needed to find some way to fight him to test the limits of his power, and that was where you came in" Arthur explained, before making a sweeping gesture around the room, "Over the years we have trained against him, however he has never gone 'all out'. The first step towards achieving our goal was to do this, and so we needed to rile him up. To that end, Thomas and I created a plan in which we could achieve this. I was the one who alerted the Magic Council to the happenings in our bars and other such establishments, and so as such I was the informant who caused you to go on the very joint mission that led to both Fairy Tail and Sabertooth to incur a debt to our family. Despite the current situation, I cannot be sorry about manipulating you all, for it was in the good of our own mission, however we had always intended on keeping all that a secret from our father, and to only reveal it at the ideal time, when we could fight him at our home. Instead, our father outwitted us seemingly, and has been keeping regular tabs on our activities, eventually resulting in his appearance here this morning. Once we found this out, we had wanted to warn you of his impending arrival, however again he was too quick in acting for us to give you much warning. So… despite my statement that I could not be sorry for causing your debt, I _am_ sorry, genuinely and truly sorry, for dragging this issue, quite literally, to your door" Arthur bowed politely in apology to emphasise his point.

We all looked at the young blond Spatial Mage with instant surprise on our faces. With the tone of his speech rapidly taking an apologetic turn, everyone in the room settled into quiet for a few seconds, unsure of what to say, before Makarov finally spoke up. "Although I hate to think of our guild being treated as a tool for someone else's plans, we have all just witnessed your resolve, and… you have attempted to help our guild in paying off this debt on numerous occasions" the old man stated in a somewhat diplomatic tone.

I noticed Sting push his way to the front of the crowd. "Yeah, and the same for Sabertooth" he called out, coming to stand next to Makarov. "I've seen you guys out on jobs with us too, and you've always been nothing but helpful, so I _know_ that you are good guys, even with all this stuff happening in your personal lives" Sting added with a grin. Arthur and Edric both looked to each other for a moment, as if trying to decide how they should take this response. After a moment they turned back to Sting and Makarov, who waited patiently. _That idiot…_

"I… thank you" Arthur stated, before smirking. "However, I don't think there is anything I can do to repay you fully for what you have done for us so far. At the moment though, I will tell you now that you are not to pay any more of the debt as it stands. In fact, I would also like to offer to pay for the door that our father broke in his oh-so-spectacular entrance" Arthur added with a slightly more upbeat tone.

Makarov nodded in agreement of this. "Alright, I'll agree to your offer of compensation" he smiled.

Edric beamed. "Even if we couldn't pay for it, we'd still help you put up a new door" he added on, "We're going to be staying in Magnolia for a little while… following some leads on our own about a… specific problem. So, you might see us around, and have to put up with even more of my charming quips" he winked.

Makarov chuckled. "If you need any help, we'd be happy to assist, just fill in a request form, or go and speak to Mirajane, she'll help you out" the old man responded.

"The same goes for Sabertooth. If you need anything just tell me and I'll send off a letter" Sting added proudly.

Arthur and Edric nodded. "Alright," Arthur replied, before looking about our group, "If anyone has any other questions I'll take them now, or if not, I need to see to Medea, it seems she pushed herself rather hard in that little bout" Arthur's voice took on a tone of caring when he referenced his sister. Using that tone, not one of us could bring ourselves to ask a lingering question, so quite smartly Arthur thanked us for our assistance one last time and then promptly left the room, Kenji quickly following behind whilst Haruki and Edric left at their own pace.

With the group gone, Makarov turned to us all. "Okay, you heard 'em, although you might see them about, do not get in their way, and you no longer have to worry about giving away any of your hard-earned jewel. Understood?" his voice was somewhat clipped as he addressed us. We all nodded in time. "Good. Now I don't want to see any more fighting in the guild for the rest of the day, since it's already wrecked I don't want any other refurbishment bills piling up" Makarov added quickly, before shooting me and Gray and accusing stare. I wanted to call back with something, however Sting intervened before I could.

"I'll also be staying in Magnolia for a little while again. I intended for this to be a three-day visit, but it looks like things have changed, and I may be needed in discussions in the near future, so don't be surprised to see me around either" the blond commented, before giving me a subtle look. I couldn't help the eruption of happiness that I felt well up inside me like a geyser ready to blow. _That's code for; I want to spend more time with you_ I thought to myself in a joyful tone.

Makarov smirked. "I think they're used to your presence by now, Sting" he mused, before shrugging. "But again, I'll reiterate this for all of you; no getting in either the Zollzero's or Sting's way, got that?"

Once again, we all nodded, and then the meeting was adjourned. On the way out, I felt a grip on my arm. Spinning around I saw the grinning face of the blond. "So Natsu, do you want to help me out with something?" he asked me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Help out with what?" I asked with a wicked smirk.

Sting chuckled, darkly.

/

"Mphm… we're gonna do it… in here?" I panted in between frantic kisses. Sting grinned.

"Got a problem with that?" he replied. I chuckled, before raising my eyebrows.

"No, although… Gajeel or Wendy could, you know… _notice_. Or anyone could walk in" I commented in a reasonable tone of voice. Sting rolled his eyes before locking lips with me again in a quick kiss.

"I picked this room because it's so far away from the main guild bar. Also, I came prepared" Sting winked, before pulling out a lacrima device.

"Huh? That's a deodoriser lacrima right?" I asked, memories of the last time I used one flooding my head; a slight shiver ran up my spine as the thought of all those Ichiya's. _Ugh…_

Sting nodded in response to my inquiry. "Yup. It's triple strength, so even if we do it here, there'll be nothing to give us away, since I don't think anyone's gonna come in here" the blond explained with a self-confident grin. I smirked, before looking around the box-filled storeroom the White Dragon Slayer had brought me into.

"Alright, I'll agree to your terms, but only on one condition" I stated.

Sting ruffled his eyebrows. "What?" he asked in a slightly impatient tone.

I beamed at him. "We go on a date later" I stated in an upbeat tone.

Sting heard out my request, however he pouted. "I guess you want me to pay for it too?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

I shrugged. "That's up to you, but I don't really have any money right now, remember?" I tried to remind him about our chance meeting earlier that morning, and about the discussion I had with Lucy.

Sting smirked. "Fine, you win" he stated. I cheered happily.

"Okay, now… what was it you had in mind for us to do in here?" I asked in a coy tone. Sting grinned.

"Oh… I don't know, how about I just say we… fuck?" he responded in a darker tone, trying to hide his intentions by making it sound reasonable. I just laughed, before crossing the short distance between us, delivering a kiss to Sting whilst simultaneously kicking over a stack of boxes to block the door.

"Alright" I agreed "Let's fuck".

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Erza Scarlet**

"Arthur?" I called out, as I knocked on the infirmary door, my armour clanking louder than I would have liked it to at that simple movement. _Perhaps I should change into something quieter, since it doesn't seem like there'll be any more fighting today…_ I reasoned for a moment.

"Yes?" a voice crowed out in response to my inquiry; it was Edric's voice. I entered the room, before looking over to the two Zollzero siblings present. Edric smiled at me from his chair beside Medea, who lay on a bed, with a slightly tired look on her face. "Miss Scarlet, what brings you here looking for my brother at this time of the day?" Edric grinned from his seat. I smiled at the younger boy. _The way he acts reminds me a little of Natsu and Gray when they were children_ I thought to myself.

"I came here because I had a few things I'd like to discuss with Arthur, if he was available. Do you know where he might have gone?" I explained to the pair, before looking about the infirmary room, as if expecting Arthur to suddenly pop up out of nowhere.

Edric tutted for a moment. "Artie's not here, he and Tom went off somewhere to gather some information, as well as evaluate the data that Thomas was able to gather from our Father's fighting display earlier" the Card Mage answered my question, before looking down towards his sister. "Sis, here, over did it and whilst Arthur and Thomas are away I'm acting as guard dog. Is there anything I could help you with?" Edric added, before looking intently in my direction. I smiled, however I shook my head.

"It's fine, I will wait for Arthur's return" I declined his offer. Edric laughed.

"I'll tell him you were looking for him" he said. I nodded understandingly, before turning to leave. As I reached for the door handle, however, Edric spoke up one more time. "If you're going to ask him about the fight, or about our family he won't tell you anything. Big brother may have a big ol' chip in his shoulder when it comes to our father, but he is still a loyal Zollzero family member, and he would never divulge secrets about us" Edric stated aloud, as if reading my intentions.

I turned back around toward the blond boy. "I was not going to ask about any of that" I stated bluntly. Edric smiled.

"So, you weren't going to ask him about why he didn't just do the same thing to our father that he pretended to use on you in your fight with him way back when we first showed up?" the teen commented observationally. I stood in silence for a moment as I realised that Edric had already somehow managed to guess my thought process exactly; ever since the fight I had wondered why he hadn't just gone all-out from the start, and defeated his father there and then. _I was also wondering if he had other plans for Fairy Tail, since the Master seemed to think he did_ I added mentally. Edric seemed to take my silence as a confession, so I decided to speak up to clarify some things.

"I will admit that I was going to ask him about why he didn't use that spell" I said, before smiling a little coldly, "However I also wanted to know if he had any other plans that might involve Fairy Tail in the future, since the next time something like this happens, I would like to be involved, as would many of the others. We don't usually just sit back and let two outsiders wreck the guild hall" I added with a harshness to my tone that (I hoped) conveyed my anger towards the events of today.

Edric did not seem surprised by my comments in the slightest. "I thought you might say that" he chimed, before looking down at Medea, "But if you're going to ask Arthur that, I can tell you now he will not reply, at least about the fight. All I _can_ say, though, is that we have no immediate plans to use your guild any further, we simply want Medea to recover, and then we will go and leave you in peace… unless something drastic happens that derails that plan" Edric's tone took a forlorn turn as he revealed his siblings plans. Hearing the teenager's words, I felt a sudden streak of sympathy for them. _They were banished from their own family home just for helping us_ I thought, _and whilst they did use us for their own ends, they did apologise, and they have helped pay for the door…_

With a pang of empathy, I found myself smiling comfortingly at the teen. "We don't blame you for this, you know, and you don't have to be in such a rush to leave. I mean, you spent practically three weeks in the guild hall already, and we've gotten to know you pretty well" I said consolingly. Edric looked over to me with a slightly more reserved version of his usual smile.

"I knew that you would say that, but it is for that very reason that we must go. If our father thinks we continued to remain at your guild after he left for an 'emotional' reason, he'll most certainly return" he said, in a tone completely different from the one he had used when inviting me in only moments ago. "To put it simply, we are leaving _because_ we have that connection with you, and because we know that our father will definitely use any emotional connection we have against us. That was why he brought up Haruki when I stood against him" Edric explained with a sigh.

I frowned at his tone. "What does Haruki have to do with your relationship with your father? He's a member of Zero Star, yes, but not a family member?" I sought further information from the teen. _I may as well learn as much as I can, it could help us out in the future_ I thought tactically.

Edric pouted for a moment, before sighing again, his shoulders slumping a little in defeat. "You're right about Haruki not being a direct relation, however… there are somethings about him that mean I am…" Edric trailed off for a moment, before changing his phrasing. "You see, our father particularly dislikes Haruki, because of the fact Haruki's dad, the old number two mage in the Zero Star guild, failed on a mission and was killed for his failure by our father; he thinks by extension Haruki is also a failure, and that I should not associate myself with him" Edric elaborated on his personal predicament. _He must really feel bad for Haruki… he also doesn't seem to want to admit that he obviously likes Haruki_ I thought to myself, another pang of sympathy for the young Mage going through my chest.

"Edric…" I mumbled for a moment as the shock of what he said hit me. After a moment I recovered and decided to try and console the boy. "If there is anything you need to talk about, you can talk to one of us in the guild. Whilst you are not a member of Fairy Tail, you and your siblings have acted to help us, and that makes you a friend. We always help our friends" I said this with confidence and a gentle smile, before I heard another knock at the door behind me. Thomas entered the room with a neutral expression.

"Edric, we have a lead. Brother teleported me here to come get you, whilst I stay with Medea" Thomas spoke quickly, not even bothering to register my presence as he interrupted our conversation. Edric nodded towards his twin, before looking over to me.

"It seems duty calls" he said, in an instantly upbeat tone, "Although, I would like to chat with you some more… maybe another day, eh?" he added with a wink. Thomas tapped his foot impatiently as Edric stood up from his chair and crossed the room.

"You must be quick Edric, or else this could go wrong. We need this information, so see that you get it. I'm too busy to do it" the Archive Mage warned his brother. Edric smirked.

"I'm going, I'm going" he stated exasperatedly, before heading towards the door. I decided to follow Edric out of the room, since it was obvious Thomas was not going to talk to me.

In the corridor outside, a red shimmering portal stood ready for Edric to enter. With one last look towards me the boy bowed. "Again, I liked talking with you Erza, however it seems like there can be nothing done about our predicament. Please just forget about us and go about your daily lives" he stated in goodbye, turning toward the portal. Just as he was about to step through, however, he looked back. "Oh, but you can tell Makarov that something will _definitely_ be happening very soon, although we hope we do not need to involve your guild" Edric added, grinning as he delivered his final message before disappearing into the portal, which closed immediately after.

Suddenly by myself in the corridor I realised the pain that Edric must have gone through in his life, and whilst I was surprised at how quickly he had managed to go from looking so sad, to acting so upbeat and cheerful, this just seemed to make things even more worse for me. _That was just like how I was, back before the Tower of Heaven incident… just instead of armour, Edric uses that smile to protect his heart_ I thought empathetically, before sighing. _And I still didn't get any confirmation from Arthur about his plans…_ I thought to myself annoyedly, _although I trust Edric enough to know that he wasn't lying;_

 _They do not want us to be involved with anything to do with their family anymore._

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

"Haaaaa" Natsu moaned cutely as I slid my hand down his bare body, gasping his hard cock in my hand as he lay on the wooden floor of the store room.

"You're… so cute, so hot…" I breathed as I pulled off my trousers, kicking them away to bunch up alongside my discarded shirt. Natsu looked over my almost naked body.

"Have you gotten more muscular?" he quipped. I laughed.

"Ha, no. Did you manage to forget what I looked like in such a short period of time?" I replied, before pouting, "Because I certainly didn't forget anything about you, especially… how good you look naked like that" I added with a wicked smirk, my eyes eating up the pinkette's body underneath my own, the heat radiating off of him already signalling just how _heated_ he was feeling.

Natsu smirked back slightly, a little blush rising on his face. "No, I didn't… I was just… will you just take a fucking compliment" he sighed with an annoyed pout. I chuckled, before moving to kiss along the pinkette's chin, moving down into his neck.

"Okay, okay, I know" I said soothingly, before running my fingers over his abs, "Now how about you do something for me, and reach over there toward my trousers. I've got a small bottle of lube in my pocket" I added in a pleading tone, sitting up so he could reach easier. Natsu smiled as I observed him reach, enjoying the view of his body completely uncovered before me for the first time in what felt like years.

"Y'really did come prepared" he mused, reaching over to where I had just thrown my trousers, and recovering the promised item, he pushed it against my chest. "Just wanted me to give you a better view, perv?" he asked me. I laughed, before taking hold of the bottle and standing up.

"Well, how about I give you a good view then?" I asked, before placing a thumb at the waistband of my underwear. Natsu raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He then followed the motion of the final piece of fabric with his eyes. As it was cast aside, I smirked down at Natsu, before flipping the lid of the bottle, getting ready to cover my fingers to prepare the Fire Dragon, however Natsu stopped me. "Just put it on your cock already, I don't need prepping, I just need _you_ " the pinkette exclaimed with an impatient voice. I gave an uncertain frown.

"Natsu it's one thing not prepping when you've had sex recently, but it's been a little while" I commented. The pinkette smiled, the resolve clear in his eyes.

"I'll be fine, it's just you after all" he confirmed with a bright smirk. I nodded, however as I squirted some of the substance over my hardened member, Natsu began chuckling. "It's not like you could hurt me anyways" he added smugly. I looked over at the pinkette with a scowl, before my own smile broke onto my face.

"Really? Because I bet I could make you squirm in the next few seconds" I laughed. Natsu snorted, before grinning.

"Yeah, how're you gonna do that?" he responded cockily. _He fell for it_ I thought to myself.

In one deft movement of my hand I squirted some of the lube toward Natsu, the cold substance splashing over his chest and stomach. "Agh! Sting! What'd you…" Natsu trailed off as he realised that, just as I had said, I made him squirm. "You planned that!" he accused me in sharp, annoyed tone. I shrugged nonchalantly in response, before grinning brightly.

"No, I didn't, I just did what I said I'd do" I replied, moving back down to the floor with Natsu. The pinkette pouted up at me, as I got close, my body between his legs, keeping him in a rather compromising position.

"I'm not so sure I even _want_ to fuck you anymore" the Fire Dragon Slayer complained childishly. I chuckled, before kissing him.

"Yeah you do" I disagreed, before smirking, "Besides, you aren't fucking me. I'm fucking _you_ " I added cockily. This comment made Natsu smile, before he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in close enough that the lube he was covered in began to squelch against my chest.

"Okay, I yeah I do, but still… don't do that again" he stated. I smiled.

"How about next time I make it something more… interesting… and not as cold?" I asked, with a wry smirk.

Natsu furrowed his brows. "Like what?" he questioned me in an accusing tone. _Wouldn't he like to know…_ I thought darkly to myself.

Shrugging one last time, before leaning into Natsu's ear, I whispered. "You'll see next time".

Natsu shivered at those words, before leaning into the crook of my neck, trailing kisses there. "I guess I will… although could we get on with this time?" he asked.

I chuckled. "Horny much, pinky?" I whispered lewdly, before nibbling a little on his ear. I could feel Natsu's smile press into my neck as he kissed the flesh.

"I'm about as horny as you, and you know it" he stated. I laughed.

"Well, if that's the case, let's not wait any longer… I'm putting it in" I said. Natsu breathed in sharply as I pressed my cock to his entrance. "You ready?" I asked the Fire Dragon Slayer one last time, seeking confirmation in his dark fiery orbs.

I didn't really even need to ask, I could see the pinkette's desperation clear as day in his eyes, however I still felt compelled to seek my boyfriend's opinion in everything, even this. "Just fuck me already!" Natsu confirmed confidently. I nodded back at him.

"Okay… just tell me if it hurts" I grinned brightly, before leaning in to lock lips with Natsu in a deep, passionate kiss. As our tongues began their own frantic dance I began to push into the pinkette, filling his ass with my cock for the first time in weeks. "Mnnmnnn…" Natsu first moan reverberated into my mouth from the kiss.

"Hah… you're so tight…" I breathed as we broke for air, the familiar sensation of Natsu's ass around my cock making me feel good to my very core.

"Sting… go in deeper… I want all of you, now" Natsu said as he looked up pleadingly at me. I smiled.

"Well… if you're asking for it…" I grinned as I rocked my hips, completely filling Natsu's ass until my cock was buried up to the hilt. "Agh…" I moaned as the heat and pressure around my member reminded me of exactly why I _had_ to come to Fairy Tail today.

"Hahh… St-Sting!" Natsu moaned in unison. "F-feels… so good…"

I smiled, before kissing Natsu once more. "Am I okay to move?" I asked the pinkette in as sweet a tone as I could muster. Natsu did not speak a reply; he just nodded vigorously.

With another laugh, and one final kiss I smiled down at the pinkette. Then I began to move, fast. I delivered each thrust with a rhythmic force, increasing each time, the delicious sensations driving me wild. Soon though, I became lost in the feeling, my thrusts coming more erratically. As my mind blanked I thought of only Natsu, and how good he looked naked, alternating between breathing and moaning, with the contortions of his chest making each of his abs even more defined, even more beautiful. _Damn… I'm gonna come soon… too soon_ I thought as I felt the waves of pleasure intensify as they raced up my spine. _Not yet… I wanna push Natsu over first…_

With the few shreds of self-control I had remaining, I angled my thrusts carefully, until I was rewarded with the exact noise that I wanted; a loud and unforgiving moan ripped from the Fire Dragon Slayer's throat. "Ha! Sting… ah… there, hit it again, I'm close" Natsu panted desperately as I hit his sweet spot, again and again.

"Natsu… Natsu…" I breathed, as I finally gave up on control and bore down into that perfect ass with all I could, feeling each and every thrust through the lust haze that enveloped my mind. "Natsu… I'm close" I warned.

"I'm… I'm gonna come too" Natsu replied breathlessly, as another, more forceful, thrust to that spot sent Natsu's vision white. "I'm c-coming, Sting!" Natsu panted suddenly, as his body shook with each wave of pleasure. I smiled at my handiwork, before kissing Natsu's heatedly, the feeling of his come splattering over my chest going largely unnoticed as his walls convulsed around my member.

"Fuck… fuck, Natsu… I'm coming" I said in between breathing and moaning. Natsu didn't reply, as he was too lost in his own orgasm to care at this point.

I rode out my orgasm to completion, before pulling out of the pinkette and flopping down beside him on the hard wood floor. "Well… I needed that. Two weeks ago" I commented with an upbeat tone, shooting Natsu a grin.

The pinkette nodded, before looking over to me. "Oh... sorry… your chest" he said, looking over to where his cum was covering my abs and pecs. I just smiled.

"It's fine. I'm sure there's gotta be _something_ in here that I can use to clean it up" I replied casually, before leaning in towards Natsu. "Never mind that now though, how are you feeling? Good?" I asked him caringly, hoping that I hadn't hurt the pinkette too much by going too far. Natsu just laughed.

"It was better than good, it was fucking amazing" he stated, before closing the distance and kissing me. I let the sloppy kiss linger for a while, before finally pulling aweay.

"Seriously though, I didn't hurt you?" I asked the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu shook his head.

"No, you didn't. I _told_ you it'd be fine, and it was. You can't hurt me that easily Sting" he stated, with an obvious hint of annoyance at my insistence. I smiled contently.

"That's alright then" I stated, before looking around the room. "I wanna lie here with you, but I should probably deal with this before it sticks too much" I added. Natsu seemed to pout in thought for a moment, as he glanced around to help me look for some old cloth or something that could be used to mop up the mess. After a moment of looking, however, I noticed the pinkette look back to me and grin. "I've just had a really great idea" he said to me, in a mischievous tone of voice. I frowned at the other Dragon Slayer, silently questioning what he was thinking; Natsu gave no clues away though. Instead, he just slid closer to me on the floor, before getting on top to pin me down below him. I looked the male up and down for a moment, before sighing.

"Natsu, I know that you love me, and I really wouldn't mind fucking again, however if we make any more mess it'll be really difficult to cover this all up" I stated, hoping that my reasoning would win out over Natsu's obvious motives. To my surprise, however, instead of trying to defend his 'idea', the pinkette frowned.

"I wasn't gonna say we fuck, I was just… gonna do this" he responded, leaning down to my body and trailing a few kisses along my neck, before reaching the first few drops of cum on my chest. Then I felt Natsu's tongue glide over my body, heatedly lapping at his own seed.

"Ah…" I breathed, as I felt the deliciously wet muscle roam all over my naked body. For a moment, I completely forgot we were in the guild, and almost was tempted to begin a whole new 'session' of 'fun' with Natsu and his devious mouth. The pinkette seemed to enjoy the experience too, especially since when he finally finished he was just as hard as me, and with just a wicked a grin on his face.

"Did you like that?" he asked cockily, as he kneeled over my, eyes eating up my body, despite the fact he had seen it in such a state many times before now. I smirked back at the pinkette and nodded.

"Yeah, do you maybe… wanna do something… more?" I replied with a playful note to my voice. Natsu raised an eyebrow interestedly.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked. I laughed darkly.

"I've got a few ideas… starting with that mouth of yours" I said.

/

 **Magnolia Train, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

"Bargh… ugh…" I groaned in pain as the carriage shook around me, the world feeling like an endless spinning torturous hell. I looked around through bleary eyes at the group.

"Geez Natsu, you're pathetic" Gray commented in his usual frosty tone. I just snorted, not willing to open my mouth and respond in case that invited something else to come out of my mouth.

"Gray, Natsu can't help it. And it looks like he's not the only one" Lucy stuck up for me, before looking to Sting, who sat to my right.

"I… it's the s-same… for all Dragon S-Slayers" Sting explained weakly as he looked just as half-dead as me. _At least we both know how it feels… if only Wendy had come with us_ I thought, before sliding further down in my seat, grabbing at my stomach. Sting glanced over at me and tried to smile, before lurching sideways with another sick expression twisting his features.

I gave a little chuckle. _It's kinda cute the way he pretends to be ok for a couple seconds, then ends up looking worse_ I thought to myself.

After about half an hour of suffering, the train pulled to a stop. Sting and I needed no better opportunity; before anyone could stop us, we jumped up, stomachs protesting strongly against such motion, and we ran right out of the train doors and onto the platform. Erza, Gray, Lucy and Happy all came over to the window to look at us. "You guys can't leave yet, we're not at Magnolia" Lucy called. I just grinned, before looking to Sting. The blond White Dragon Slayer grinned back at me, before I looked over to the group still on the train, that was about to depart.

With a wide smile on my face I waved. "We're gonna walk back from here, you guys go on ahead!" I called. Lucy frowned at us, before looking to Erza. I saw her ask something, before the red-head spoke.

"Fine, you can walk back. We'll tell the Master that you're on your way, this time, but make sure you're back by tomorrow!" she commanded us, just as the train doors shut, preparing for its imminent departure.

Sting and I nodded in unison. "Alright, it's not that far anyways" we both said. Erza nodded, before she, Gray, and Lucy all returned to their seats. Happy continued smirking at us as the vehicle began to move. We both watched him, as he mouthed a silent 'have fun' before passing out of sight, on the tracks towards Magnolia.

As soon as the others were safely out of sight, I looked to Sting. "Well, it'll take about two hours to get to Magnolia from here, so we've got some time to kill before we really have to leave" I stated, to which Sting nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, so what do you want to do?" he responded.

I shrugged. "I saw a hotel not far from the train station, wanna… go get a room?" I replied with a slightly wicked smile. Sting's face brightened up.

"After that train ride, I would love to rest up a bit" he stated, before beginning to walk towards the stations exit. I followed him, pouting.

"I don't think we'll get much rest" I said. Sting just smiled.

"Well, that depends on what we do, doesn't it?" he stated rhetorically, before looking over to me and raising an eyebrow. "Oh… did you mean you _wanted_ to do something?" he added jovially. I just sighed, before lightly punching his arm.

"You know what I meant when I said get a room" I responded. He smirked, before letting out a laugh.

"Sure, I did, now come on. _Let's go get a room_ " the White Dragon Slayer beamed, as he took hold of my hand, before dashing forward towards the hotel.

As we entered the hotel, I looked back suddenly, however there was nothing but the station and a few houses behind us. "Natsu?" Sting's voice was edged with concern at my sudden stopping. I looked over to the blond.

"Sorry, I just thought I heard something, must've been my imagination" I stated unconcerned. Sting pouted for a moment, before laughing.

"Looks like you might finally be going crazy" he laughed. I sighed and rolled my eyes at the White Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah, I must be, since I'm somehow still hanging around with you despite everything" I responded rather dryly. Sting smirked at my sharper response, before leaning in.

"You know that you _love_ me" he said in a hushed tone, sounding disturbingly like Happy. I shook my head, before delivering another light tap to Sting's shoulder.

"Just shut up and come on, I don't wanna take too long, otherwise Erza will kill us when we get back to Magnolia" I stated, before motioning to enter the hotel and order a room. Sting followed me with a chuckle.

"I didn't know you were so desperate" he mused, before brushing a hand up my back discretely. "Although I don't mind taking our time, I guess you are right about Erza" he added.

I nodded. "Yup, I'm always right, now let's go" I chuckled, holding up our room key.

Sting laughed alongside me as I led him over to where the receptionist had gestured, to where we could 'rest up' for a bit; although neither of us had any intention of resting at all.

All we wanted to do was to make as much as we could of the opportunities that were given to us. _Especially since it looks like it's not gonna be long before Sting has to go again, with the debt over he has no reason to stay after all_ I thought as I located the room door and eagerly opened it with the key.

Sting was all over me before I could even close the door. Or lock it.

 **End of Chapter 26**

 **Chapter Hint; Worst Case Scenario**


	27. Chapter 27 - Worst Case Scenario

**Chapter 27 – Worst Case Scenario**

 **Zollzero Mansion, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

The Patriarch strode through the old hallways of the Zollzero Family's grandiose mansion. "How dare they defy me, my own children!" he barked, before using his Telekinesis to send a stray vase, that had been housed neatly in an alcove on display, shattering against the far wall. "They just don't seem to listen and learn, hmph" he added before spinning on his heel and taking a right turn down the labyrinth of corridors.

"Um… sir…" a weak voice piped up from somewhere behind the wiry, mustachio'd man. The Patriarch spun around in time to see his assistant hopping down the corridor towards him, his short body and legs making the simple task take longer than the man would have liked. "We've erm… received a report from one of your informants" the aide stated in his higher-than-average voice; a tone he only used when he was becoming acutely aware of his own mortality around the Patriarch.

The Patriarch for his part merely raised an eyebrow, his destructive glare and foul mood momentarily forgotten at the prospect of news. "Well, what is it? The children, or that other nuisance?" he demanded in a sharp tone.

The aide frowned, before producing a scrap of paper. "It's a little of both" he muttered, before scanning over the contents. "It seems your suspicions were correct sir, the children were aware of the movements of your nephews, and well… it doesn't look good. There isn't any information on their whereabouts, however there are rumours spreading about Arthur Zollzero seeking information on them" the aide stated, before handing the piece of paper to the patriarch to read directly.

The Patriarch accepted the note, before glancing over it dismissively. "Hmm… it seems Arthur at least shows some competence in gathering information. I suppose that is unsurprising since he somehow garners the popularity of his siblings despite his traitorous beliefs" the Patriarch mused, before crumpling up the paper scrap and, using his Telekinesis, sending it hurtling toward a window at the end of the corridor with enough force to shatter the glass. The aide watched the act impassively; as dangerous as his job he knew he was safe as the act was more to vent the built-up anger and frustration his boss displayed than to actually frighten him.

"What should we do? Send Zero Star out to locate them? Or perhaps put a stop to Arthur's search?" the aide offered a few ideas to the blond-haired elder.

The Patriarch shook his head. "It would be an unnecessary waste of effort to stop Arthur at this point… although, maybe we could use his search to our advantage and lure out my dear annoying nephews…" the Patriarch grinned at that thought.

The aide nodded, before smiling. "That seems a good plan, sir" he stated, nodding.

The Patriarch continued smirking, before turning back along the corridor to continue on his route. "Inform Zero Star that they are _not_ to interfere with Arthur's search. Also, tell my informants to focus their information onto Arthur's actions, I _will not_ stand for that brat to hide yet more of his plans from me" the Patriarch declared as he began prowling on his way once more. The aide nodded.

"I will do so… _sir_ " he stated, waiting for when the man would be out of earshot before making another move. The Patriarch did not hear his reply, or at least did not bother to listen. Once the man turned another corner and was out of sight, the aide grinned wickedly. "You damned fool" he added in a bitter laugh.

A shadowed silhouette appeared beside the aide as he mocked the Zollzero boss. "You've done it?" the figure asked.

The aide nodded in confirmation. "Indeed, he even accepted it into his own hand without realising it!" the short man beamed mischievously, making the other stranger raise an eyebrow.

"The paper?" he questioned, to which the aide nodded.

"Ha ha, 'informant's report'… it was laced with that substance you gave me, and with just one touch it will enter his bloodstream through the skin… then you and your masters can retrieve him without danger" the aide stated. The figure nodded, before phasing into the corridor in their entirety.

"Yes, the young master's cannot be allowed to come to harm at this critical stage" Hugo said, lacrima in his hand fading from the bright glow that had allowed him to observe the assistant's actions and subsequently teleport to him from afar. The aide shrugged.

"Whatever" he stated, before glancing back towards the window, "I'm going to get my tail out of here now though, I don't want to be around if that guy figures out what happened" he added. Hugo smiled.

"You will be rewarded by the _new_ Zollzero head for your services" he stated. The aide grinned.

"I expect I would be" he agreed, completely oblivious to the hand that had been placed on the hilt of Hugo's sword. "I mean, it's basically suicide to betray the Zollzero family in any other capacity… I've done you a great service in weakening our current leader in such a way" he added in a more boastful tone.

Hugo nodded in agreement. "Yes, I agree. It _is_ suicide to betray the Zollzero's… that is why this is a fitting punishment for you, and all the other traitors who sided with that damnable Patriarch" Hugo stated, before brandishing his sabre blade.

The aide barely had time to widen his eyes before the cold steel cut deep into the flesh of the aide's neck, beheading the short man instantly. "N-ngh…" he cried out helplessly, as he watched his own body fall to the floor in a loud, thudding clump.

Hugo grinned with glee as he watched the aide fall, before frowning. "I… suppose I should clean this up" he sighed, realising that despite the satisfaction he gained from that action, he had also increased his work load. "All in the name of what is right though" he reasoned, as he hefted the man's corpse, along with the head, and hefted them into a conveniently close store cupboard.

A little while later, any other person on the mansion grounds might just have missed the Patriarch sleeping deeply at his desk in his study, and they most certainly would not have noticed his assistant enter grinning from ear to ear.

However, in a few hours' time, they would all be aware of one thing; the Patriarch was no longer their leader.

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

"There's no way!" Gray cried out in both surprise and frustration as the third dart hit the board.

"That's it, fifteen consecutive scores of one hundred and eighty. Pay up!" Edric beamed as Haruki retrieved the darts from the board for the last time.

Gray sighed heavily. "You must've cheated" he complained.

Edric laughed, before winking at Haruki, who came to stand over beside the blond. "Well, Haru wouldn't ever let himself lose" he laughed with a little pride, tapping Haruki on the shoulder.

"Edric, you don't need to boast. I'm a marksman, hand to eye games are obviously my forte" Haruki stated, in a tone that sounded even more arrogant than Edric's. Gray scowled at him.

"Alright, I get it. Here" he handed a small bag of jewel to the Bullet Mage, who nodded back at the Ice Mage he had received it from.

"That seems to be all of it" Haruki stated after a brief glance into the bag. Edric grinned.

"I've got a brilliant idea on how to spend it too" he chuckled. Haruki raised an eyebrow uncertainly.

"What on? Sweets? Clothes? Some other random useless trinket?" he asked in a mildly mocking tone. Edric pouted, folding his arms over his chest.

"No, not any of those. And they aren't the _only_ things I spend money on" he stated in a defensive tone. Haruki sighed and rolled his eyes, before Edric gave up his pouting and resumed grinning again. "I mean, I also like buying cool watches, rings, other jewellery… oh, and what about all _those_ _things_ we get" he winked at Haruki.

The Bullet Mage blushed slightly at Edric's hints. "S-shut it, Edric!" he barked in a suddenly embarrassed tone of voice. I watched the pair with vague amusement, Natsu beside me smiling and laughing, more so at Gray's defeat than at the two 'banished' boy's antics. _It's been a week since they were banished, and whilst Arthur and Thomas always seem to be out places, and Kenji and Medea are only really hanging around town, these two are in here almost every day_ I noted to myself. _They did always seem more at home here than the others…_ Thinking about home reminded me that Rogue would be coming over to the guild in a couple of days. _With all the stuff that's been going on, even the Magic Council's been 'round to call a 'meeting' with both Makarov and me_ I frowned slightly as I remembered the sour-faced bureaucrats who had questioned us to the absolute nth degree about our dealings with the Zollzero's, and also about the apparent infighting amongst their group. Makarov had been wilier than me, avoiding or outright lying about some of the events; neither of us wanted to see anything happen to the siblings and we had agreed to continue assisting them, even if it meant deceiving the Council.

After a little more teasing Edric and Haruki left the guild to go and make the 'best' use of the jewel they had won, not just from Gray, but from various bets and wagers they had been making throughout the day. "You really lost there, Gray" Natsu smirked wickedly, as the Ice Mage slumped himself into the seat opposite us.

"Be quiet flame brain, I didn't think Haruki would be able to make so many accurate shots, that's all" he retorted, before sighing. "Unfortunately, that was my last bit of spare jewel though… ahh, I just finished a job and now it looks like I'm gonna have to take _another_ one to make up for all the money I lost" he complained. I shrugged.

"If you didn't have the money, you shouldn't have bet it on some stupid wager with a couple of kids" I stated in a more reasonable tone than the one Natsu was using to mock Gray.

The Ice Mage nodded in agreement with me. "Yeah, I know…" he mumbled. I noticed the odd look that he gave, like he was angry at himself more than he was angry at Haruki or Edric.

"Ha ha…" I chuckled under my breath, earning an intrigued look from both Gray and Natsu.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked me in a confused voice. I smiled gleefully at the pinkette for a moment, before gesturing towards Gray with a nod of my head. This caused the dark-haired male to furrow his brows.

"You laughing at how I lost that bet?" he questioned me. I shook my head.

"No, I'm laughing because I think it's cute that you're actually pissed off about the fact you're gonna have to go on a job when _Rogue's_ coming over" I beamed mischievously. Gray gave an expression of shock as I revealed his true intentions, however his face quickly set into a weak smile.

"I guess I failed at both keeping my plan a secret, _and_ keeping my jewel…" he sighed, "But what am I gonna do, Rogue's coming and I promised to go out to some nice restaurant with him since last time he was here in Magnolia we got… _interrupted_ " Gray sent a slightly daggered looked towards Natsu and I. "He even lied to you, coming tonight instead of in a couple of days' time, so that we'd get two days alone before he officially 'arrived' to help" Gray added after a moment, groaning as he realised just how much he had screwed things up.

I smirked upon hearing this. "Well isn't that clever of you" I stated dryly, before chuckling, "However, you obviously make plans like you make bets… really fucking badly" I laughed in slight amusement, which earned another angry look from the Ice Mage. Before he could retort with something, though, I continued. "However, I don't think Rogue'll mind _too_ much if you lost the money and couldn't do what you said… I mean, if it was _me_ he'd go completely crazy, but if it's _you…_ " I left the last bit unsaid. Gray pouted in thought for a moment before frowning.

"No, I think he'd still be pretty pissed. If I'd lost the money because it was stolen or something he'd probably be okay, but because I gambled it… he's gonna kill me" Gray thought aloud. I found myself sympathising with the Ice Mage; Rogue had attempted to 'kill me' on more than a dozen occasions because I'd stupidly lost money to bets or other tricks.

"Well if it's that much of a problem, why don't you come with us?" Natsu spoke up with surprising insight. I frowned at the pinkette.

"You don't mean tonight? I thought I already said that this place is really expensive, and that the only reason we got in was we were double-dating with Haruki and Edric" I stated to the Fire Dragon with a pout. Ever since we had sex in a storage cupboard a week earlier the pinkette had been bugging me to take him on his promised date, however as I was in meetings with the Council, and he was dragged on jobs, we hadn't found the time. It was only by Edric's intervention, when he overheard us planning one evening, that the teenage Card Mage had decided to step in and help us, riding on his family's name to get us a table at one of the most expensive restaurants in town alongside himself and Haruki. "Edric won't mind changing the reservation, will he?" Natsu pouted, not obviously considering the difficulty of the task.

Gray shook his head. "It's his fault I'm in this mess, I'm not gonna go asking him for help" the Ice Mage chimed in stubbornly. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Although I don't think he'd be able to get another couple into the restaurant unless he _really_ pulls some strings, Edric would probably do it if you asked him Gray, especially if you point out that it's because of his betting that you lost the money you'd saved up to go out" I said, before furrowing my brows in thought. "Er, how much did you lose today anyways… I only saw you place a bet on that darts challenge" I added after a moment. Gray gave a large exhalation of breath, before replying.

"About fifty thousand jewel, if you include the money I lost on the bet I placed yesterday. I really thought I'd be able to outrun Edric, but the sneaky bastard used some kind of Card Magic enchantment to boost his speed" Gray stated in a low voice, like just mentioning it was painful.

My eyes went wide with surprise. "You lost _how_ much?! That's like… a pretty good reward for a monster-hunting job" I exclaimed, looking to Natsu who was pulling a similar expression to me.

"Yeah, do you know how much food you could buy with that?" he added. _Always thinking about food…_

"Actually, how did Edric manage to trick you into betting that much?" I added after a moment. Gray shrugged.

"I was bored, since I didn't wanna go on another job until Rogue had been and left, and I thought if I made a couple of bets here and there when Edric was doing them I'd be able to make a little extra money to… well, that doesn't matter. But anyways… I ended up losing that much over several bets, rather than in one go…" Gray trailed off as he thought about how much money Edric and Haruki had managed to get off of him, and many others in the guild too.

"I think you might have a gambling problem" I stated, before patting him on the shoulder reassuringly, "But don't worry… if you don't feel like asking Edric yourself, I could always try slipping it into a conversation and seeing what he says…" I tried smiling to gain Gray's confidence. After a moment of thought, the Ice Mage finally nodded his head.

"Alright, if not… I'll go ask him… otherwise it looks like Rogue'll have to put up with a cheap date" Gray stated. I nodded in confirmation of this.

"Okay, if you're on board that's okay. Now, Natsu… let's go put your nose to work, and find Edric" I stated with a smile toward my boyfriend. Natsu pouted.

"Why do I have to find 'em?" he asked lazily. I chuckled, before prodding the pinkette in the side.

"Because _you_ said to ask Edric, so it's _your_ idea" I retorted, firmly taking a hold of his hand and dragging him up off the table. "We'll be back soon to tell you what happens" I shouted back over my shoulder to Gray, who nodded.

"Alright, I'll hang around here then" he said. I smiled, before giving another tug to Natsu's arm as I led him out of the guild.

"Come on. If we find them quickly, there's something else I want you to do for me" I stated to the pinkette.

"What?" he asked in an intrigued tone of voice. I smiled.

"You'll see later" I responded. _Yeah, later… because if I tell him I wanna go out and buy a new waistcoat for him for this date there's no way he'll agree to come now_ I thought cunningly.

/

We found Edric and Haruki with little difficulty, Natsu tracking them down instantly despite the large numbers of people out in the market streets. The pair of teenage boys seemed to be enjoying a bit of fun at a clothing store, trying on different apparel and commenting on each other's choices. I smiled inwardly as we approached the store. _Good, since they're here, I might be able to persuade Natsu to play along and try something on too…_

"Hi guys, you're looking for a new outfit too?" Edric asked as he noticed us enter the boutique. I smiled at the blond-haired boy, before shrugging.

"Yeah, I figured that Natsu and me could do with a couple of new clothes, for this evening" I smirked, the pinkette beside me pouting.

"Aww, but Sting, I'm fine. You even said my other outfit looked alright" Natsu complained suddenly. I prodded him in the side.

" _Play along_ " I whispered to him, before smiling back over at Edric, "As you can see he's a reluctant shopper, of clothes at least. I bet you wouldn't be complaining if this was a buffet, Natsu" I chuckled. Edric grinned over at me.

"If you two are gonna look for clothes for tonight mind if I help?" the blond asked, just as Haruki emerged from a side booth wearing a more casual set of clothes to his usual suit, shirt and tie.

"Edric, is this better?" Haruki asked the blond with a note of annoyance, before noticing my and Natsu's presences.

Edric clapped his hands. "Much better. If we're not gonna be on call for the family any more we don't need to hang about in those suits and stuff" Edric commented, before he heaved up his own choice selection of clothes; consisting of a pale-yellow polo shirt, light blue trousers, and a number of various assorted accessories, including a belt and a red wrist band. Haruki smiled.

"Alright, now that we've got that out of the way, what are you guys here for? Not stalking us, I hope" Haruki stated with a note of sarcasm. I rolled my eyes.

"No. We were just here to pick out some new clothes for tonight" I said, reiterating what I had just told Edric. Haruki just shrugged, before turning around and returning to the changing room, drawing the curtain as he did so with one swift movement. A minute or so later he drew back the curtain and padded out with the outfit he had just been wearing folded neatly in his arms; like Edric, he had a polo shirt, this time in a darker blue, with some matching dark blue trousers, and, quite interestingly, a matching red band, exactly identical to Edric's. _They're actually kinda cute, wearing the same bands and stuff... I wonder if I could get Natsu to do something like that_ I thought to myself momentarily, before the pinkette tugged at my arm.

"Is it weird that they're wearing kinda the same clothes and stuff?" Natsu whispered to me. I frowned at him.

"No. I think it's kinda cute" I said back in response. Natsu pouted.

"Really?" he asked, to which I nodded. Before I could respond another voice chimed in.

"Don't read too much into it, we're just buying some clothes and _happened_ to pick out stuff that was similar, that's all" Edric stated aloud, before gesturing with a nod toward Haruki. "We're just gonna go buy these, then we'll help you look for stuff for tonight" Edric added. I smiled at him, before nodding. _He's got damned good hearing… almost as good as a Dragon Slayer's_ …

With the pair a little further away, paying for their clothes at the desk. I turned to Natsu. "Right, we need to find a way to slip into the conversation the fact that Gray needs money to go on a date tonight, and then see if we can persuade Edric to change tonight's plans to a triple date instead of a double" I stated. Natsu nodded, before folding his arms.

"Hey Sting, you don't really wanna buy clothes for tonight though, we're just gonna play along until we tell them, right?" Natsu looked like he was going to be difficult depending on how I responded to this next query. With a smile I winked at the pinkette.

"We're just gonna play along until we tell 'em, alright?" I lied. _No way in hell I'm telling him that this was actually what I had in mind, although perhaps not as perfectly planned as this has turned out…_

Natsu nodded in understanding. "Okay!" he grinned happily, just as Edric and Haruki returned.

"Right, let's go and pick some stuff out for you guys" Edric stated, excitement brimming in his voice.

/

About one and a half an hours later, Natsu and I felt well and truly exhausted. Edric, in all his excitement, had given us numerous different pieces of clothing, so many that I couldn't even keep track any more. In a brief interlude between changes, I slumped into a chair the store clerk, a nice, impeccably dressed, young man had given us to use. "I didn't know Edric would be so… energetic" I sighed, much to the amusement of Haruki, who stood beside me.

"Yeah, now you know how I feel whenever he drags me along on these little shopping trips. The only difference is I set a rule ages ago that he has to follow" Haruki laughed. I raised an eyebrow.

"Rule?" it intrigued me to think that the supposed underling of the Zollzero family had any power over the 'highly important' family members. Haruki grinned.

"When it comes to clothes, accessories or jewellery pieces, including watches, Edric can only make me try on at most five different things" Haruki stated, in a well-rehearsed voice. I smirked.

"So… I'm guessing he's put you through all of this before then, huh?" I asked, to which the blond-dyed boy nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, three or four times before I put my foot down. I'm all for wearing nice stuff, but it seems excessive to spend hours deciding on which ones to buy" Haruki stated with a smile. I nodded in agreement.

"I might _sometimes_ spend a little longer picking stuff out and trying stuff on, but this… is something else. I don't even remember what I've tried on any more" I stated with fatigue in my voice. As I spoke, Natsu paraded out of the changing room with another set of clothes on, this time a light blue shirt, with a dark blue waistcoat and matching dark blue trousers.

"This is gonna be the _last_ thing I try on" he complained bitterly, just as Edric reappeared from amongst the aisles of clothes with a silvery-blue waistcoat in his hand.

"Really, but I just saw this and thought it'd look great on you" he stated in a mildly disappointed tone. Natsu glared at the teen, defiance in his eyes.

"No. I only wanted to try a couple of things for Sting, I'm not gonna go and wear everything in this whole freakin' store" he responded flatly. Edric pouted, before shrugging.

"I guess we have seen most of the stuff now" he replied, before smiling, "Now we just need to pick out of the stuff we've seen to decide what you'll be wearing. I was thinking you might be best in that combo I gave you about three goes' back" Edric added. Natsu looked as if he was about to explode right there in the middle of the store. _Ahh… I should probably step in… don't want him going and blowing the whole place sky-high_ I thought to myself, before quickly making a move out of the chair I was sat in and coming over to the pinkette's side.

"I think it's all right Edric. I didn't intend to go and get a whole new outfit today anyways… I kinda just hoped we might be able to get Natsu a new waistcoat and maybe get me a new shirt whilst I was at it" I intervened swiftly, my hand subtly going to around the pinkette's waist to pull him close, so I could whisper in his ear. _"Don't freakin' destroy anything, just let me handle this_ " I said to him in a tone that was meant to be both soothing and authoritative at the same time.

Edric pouted in thought for a moment, before shrugging. "Well, if that's what you want…" he stated, before frowning. "This isn't because you can't _afford_ to buy a new outfit, though, right? Because if that's the case I could always pay for it for you and then you could pay me ba-" I held my hand up before the blond could finish his sentence.

"I think we've had enough of paying your family back to last a lifetime" I said in a mildly amused tone. Edric smirked upon hearing this.

"I guess I can understand that. But really, this isn't some kind of money thing?" the teen raised an eyebrow suspiciously. I shook my head. _No, but whilst we're on the subject…_

"No, we're fine… financially" I commented, before casting my eye over the clothes' Natsu was currently standing in. "And speaking of fine, I think you look pretty fucking hot in that outfit Natsu… do you think, _maybe_ you could go get changed and buy this?" I raised an eyebrow at the pinkette, whilst simultaneously applying pressure to his side with my grip around his waist. Natsu took the que to leave.

"Alright, if… if that's what you want, Sting" he said, before slipping out from beside me and moving back into the changing area to get back into his normal clothes.

"I'm surprised you picked that one, I thought you liked the other one better. You know, the pink one. You even said it matched Natsu's hair" Haruki mused, as he came to stand beside Edric. The blond boy nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I thought that was your favourite" he said. I just shrugged.

"Even if _I_ liked it, Natsu wasn't too keen. If he doesn't wanna wear it, I'm not gonna force him" I commented nonchalantly. Edric smirked upon hearing this.

"Really, you wouldn't force Natsu to wear stuff he doesn't want to?" he questioned me. I smiled.

"Obviously. Natsu's his own person, and I love him for that so…" I trailed off as I noticed that both Edric and Haruki were grinning at me. "What's so funny?" I asked the pair, a hint of suspicion in my voice.

Edric shrugged. "Oh, nothing… we just find it funny that you say you don't wanna force Natsu to do anything he doesn't want to, yet you forced him to play along with my 'fun' until you had an appropriate time to ask me if it was okay that Gray wanted to come along on our little double date later this evening" Edric stated in a voice that was barely managing to conceal his deep-chested laughter.

My jaw dropped at the teen. "You heard us?" I exclaimed in surprise. Edric nodded cockily.

"Of course, it wasn't like we were all _that_ far away. You Dragon Slayers aren't the only ones with good hearing" the teen mused, before Haruki knocked him on the side of the head.

"Yeah, except it's _me_ who has the better hearing, Edric, since you didn't even notice they were talking until I pointed it out" he butted in. I looked between the grinning pair for a moment, before shrugging my shoulders.

"Well, I guess we can't help it…" I sighed, just as Natsu reappeared.

"Hey guy's… what's up?" he asked, as he observed my expression for a moment, his brows furrowing in the most adorable expression ever.

I gave a flicker of a smirk at the pinkette's expression for a moment, before rubbing the back of my head. "Well… it looks like they already knew why we were here, Natsu" I stated, earning a further confused expression from the Fire Dragon Slayer that made me purr inside.

"So… what does that mean? I didn't need to try on all those clothes?" Natsu asked in a voice that was wavering somewhere between confused and angry. I chuckled lowly.

"Yeah, they played us" I stated in confirmation for the Fire Dragon. Natsu frowned, before directing his angry look toward Edric.

Edric held his hands up with palms flat facing the pink-haired male. "Don't look at me like that… look, if it makes it any better I've already sorted it so Gray and Rogue can come along with us, alright?" Natsu and I both gave a look of surprise. Edric, recognising our expressions, gave a loud laugh, before elaborating. "Whilst I was getting you both to try on a couple of outfits, I had Haruki run along to the place and 'discuss' our arrangements for tonight" he stated, before looking to the teen beside him.

Haruki gave a wicked smile, followed by a thumbs-up. "They were more than accommodating and changed the number to six... once I mentioned Edric's name at least" he smiled. I took in this information before nodding, a smile forming on my lips.

"Well, at least it worked out" I chuckled, looking to my boyfriend, who was wearing an annoyed pouting expression. "Sulking, Natsu?" I asked him.

Natsu folded his arms. "Of course, I am, idiot, they made me do all that stupid stuff…" he grumbled. I sighed, before edging slightly closer to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"You know, I wasn't kidding about how sexy you looked in some of those outfits… maybe if we buy one I might not be able to wait for tonight" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively at the pinkette. Natsu's pout dropped instantly, and was instead replaced with a wide grin.

"Really?" he asked with eager excitement. I chuckled darkly before shrugging.

"Buy what I tell you and then… we'll see" I stated in a low whisper, before looking back to the teens.

Edric and Haruki were not listening to us; they were busy discussing other clothing choices at another part of a store. With a little laugh I directed Natsu on what I wanted him to buy, and then we left, agreeing to meet Edric and Haruki at the guild later before we all go on the double, or rather triple, date.

Once we got to my house, however, all thoughts about the date quickly left us, as my joke promise to Natsu became increasingly close to reality when he tried on the waistcoat he had just purchased with his own clothes.

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

Sting writhed beneath me, naked body hot to my touch. "Ah… N-Natsu…" he breathed, as I noisily continued what I was doing down by his crotch. With a grin I swirled my tongue around the tip of the White Dragon's cock, eliciting another delicious noise from the blond.

"Heh…" I laughed to myself; no matter what I did I couldn't love anything more than I loved sucking Sting's cock and hearing those beautiful noises coming from his mouth. Feeling my own cock throb below me, however, was getting annoying.

Sting seemed to notice my discomfort, as his hand, which had previously been pressing down on the back of my head, now was tangled in my hair and tugging for me to go up. "Natsu… ah… wait a m-minute" he stated in a shaky breath, holding back the moan that I had attempted to pull from his throat. I looked up at the blond with eyes clouded in confusion and lust.

"What's up? I thought it sounded like you were enjoying that" I stated. Sting smiled.

"I was… it's just, well it seems like you could be enjoying it too" he said, before looking down towards my own member that was still hidden beneath the cloth of my underwear. I shrugged, before bringing my mouth once again close to the other male's member.

"It's fine, I'm alright with this" I said, honesty clear in my voice. Sting pulled my head back up before I could continue to speak.

"But what if we both enjoy it?" he stated, earning another confused look from me. Sting seemed to respond to this by rolling his eyes. "Just take your pants off" he added after a moment. I frowned for a moment, before shrugging again and complying with his request. Completely naked I looked back toward the White Dragon Slayer.

"So, what now? You gonna try to get me off or something whilst I do it?" I asked Sting, who just grinned wickedly.

"Something like that, just… lie down" he replied, before sliding along on my bed to give me space beside him. Once more complying, I lay down beside Sting and then watched as the other Dragon Slayer got up. _Is he gonna suck me off instead?_ I thought for a moment, before realisation dawned. Instead of going straight to my cock, Sting instead crawled over my body in a reverse crawl, so that his hardened member, still wet from my earlier action, was level with my face, and likewise my member was level with his own smiling mouth. "Get it now, Natsu?" Sting asked, observing me from upside down. I laughed.

"So, you wanted to do it this way, you perv" I answered, in a tone that was brimming with excitement. _I never thought Sting'd want to do it like this…_

"Well… maybe I wanted to see if this was better" he responded, before looking back to my cock. Before I could give a response, I felt the White Dragon's tongue trace the length from base to tip, making me moan indecently. I could hear the blond chuckling to himself as I made that noise, so I grinned as I licked a stripe along his cock in mirror. "Ha… your mouth's so hot" Sting commented heatedly. I chuckled at him.

"So is yours" I replied happily, before narrowing my gaze down onto the White Dragon's face. "But I'm gonna want more than just a little of your mouth" I added with a more commanding tone. Sting smiled, locking eyes with mine, then in tone-for-tone he nodded.

"Yeah, I want more now too" he added, before moving his mouth close to the tip of my member, eliciting small bursts of heat throughout my body from the delicious feel of his breath on my hardened cock. I mirrored his actions, before giving in and beginning to take the length into my mouth once more.

My sudden attack seemed to take Sting by surprise for a few moments, as I only began to feel Sting's mouth on my cock properly after a minute or two. Then, as we each began to suck the other off, we quickly lost ourselves in sensation. The feeling of having Sting take in my member was both familiar and amazing, however it was made even better by the moans he was giving from my own activity on his length. "Hah… so… good…" I breathed in a brief interlude between sucking and receiving. Sting gave a smothered noise as a reply which I took to mean 'me too' but it could very well have been something else. With a smile to myself, I continued sucking along Sting's cock; I could already feel myself getting close, and with my activity earlier I knew the blond would not be able to last much longer. Sure enough, after a few more minutes of pleasure Sting gave a particularly large moan, before removing my member from his mouth. "I'm gonna… come Natsu" he warned. I glanced down our bodies to lock eyes with him, showing him that I was already aware of this. Sting maintained his glance for a moment, before resuming his own oral activity. _He's gonna keep going… I thought he wasn't going to when he came but…_ my train of thought was cut off as the most perfect sensation; Sting was both coming into my mouth and moaning at the same time.

Although I had prepared for this, or so I had thought, however the sheer pleasure of having Sting moaning around my cock, whilst also tasting the stream of his semen filling my mouth and throat pushed me over the edge myself. "Hack… agh…" I tried to warn the blond as I was about to release, however the fluid overflowing my lips prevented me from doing so. Sting, however, seemed to be able to tell what I was failing to express as he swallowed my cum without issue. I rode my orgasm out with removing Sting's wilting member from my mouth, then, as I finished I felt the White Dragon Slayer move about. "Well… that was… interesting" Sting stated with a bright grin on his face, as he flopped down beside me on the bed, wrapping an arm around me.

I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the blond. "Just interesting?" I asked him. Sting chuckled.

"Okay, maybe it was more than _just_ interesting. It was hot too" he mused. I laughed alongside him, before he wrapped an arm around my body comfortingly. We lay like this for a few minutes; naked but content. It was only when Sting began shivering a little that I spoke up.

"Are you cold?" I asked him in a caring tone of voice. He smiled kindly.

"A little… aren't you?" he replied, before glancing over my equally as naked a body. I shrugged, before sliding closer to him and wrapping my arms around his body.

"Not really. I'm used to the cold, besides… I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer, I've got fire in my blood and soul" I commented jokingly. Sting smirked down at me, before wrapping his other arm around my torso, drawing comforting circles into my back with his fingertips. In this position his mouth was near my ear and I could feel his breath fall softly onto the lobe.

"Your body's really warm, it feels… nice" he purred, before stroking a line down my spine, ending close to my butt.

I chuckled. "If you want, you could feel this body some more" I said in an inviting tone. Sting seemed to consider my offer for a moment, before pouting.

"I guess we shouldn't… since we _do_ need to go down to the guild soon" he replied in a more reasonable voice.

I smiled, knowing that would be his response. With a sigh of contentment, I nuzzled my nose into his blond strands, before placing a kiss to the back of his head. "Alright, but… can we stay like this for a little while longer, it feels good to just be here with you" I asked the blond. Sting nodded faintly, before shifting his head and kissing sweetly into my neck.

"Yeah, we can. But in a little while we're gonna have to get ready to go. Edric and the others'll be waiting for us otherwise" he responded. I muttered a 'yes' before closing my eyes to rest.

We didn't wake until ten minutes before we were due to meet up with the others.

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Gray Fullbuster**

"Why doesn't it surprise me that Natsu and Sting are the ones arriving late?" I complained in a sour tone, as I sat with Rogue, Edric and Haruki at a table in the guild hall.

"Hmph… Sting's useless at keeping to a schedule, when he's at the guild he never shows up for any meetings on time, even important ones like briefings by the Council" Rogue muttered in agreement. I looked apologetically toward the dark-haired Dragon Slayer. _Damn it, they know how much I wanted to make this special, since we don't get to see each other very much, and then they go and do this…_ anger began to bubble up inside me, which I quickly suppressed; not least because it caused the Devil Slayer tattoo on my arm to begin creeping up my skin, and losing control was _definitely_ not what I wanted on tonight of all nights.

"Don't worry, they'll be here soon… I don't think they'd have forgotten, it's probably more like they fell asleep and didn't wake up or something" Edric stated, attempting to reassure my and Rogue's restless forms. I didn't feel very reassured. _If Natsu_ had _gone to sleep, it would take a fucking volcanic eruption, or maybe a large-scale earthquake to get him awake enough o show up here soon… maybe I should go look for them_ …

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a new figure entering the guild took my interest; Juvia was running towards me completely and utterly flustered. "Gray…" she panted, making a move to reach for me. I dodged away from her grasping hands.

"What is it, Juvia?" I asked her; although I often despaired when the Water Mage showed up, something about her demeanour told me this flustered grasp wasn't her usual attempt to get close to me. _Something's up…_

"It's terrible… Gajeel… Laxus… look outside" she seemed somewhat shocked. Looking to Rogue and the other's, they each gave looks that were somewhere between intrigued, and concerned.

"What's going on?" Rogue asked me in a flat tone of voice. I shrugged.

"Don't know, something's going on outside though" I stated. Haruki looked to Edric, who then nodded, an unspoken command going between them. "Do you know what's going on?" I asked in an accusing tone of voice. Edric just smiled.

"Well, I can think of a few… worrying possibilities. Haru, go find Medea, I'll look after Juvia" he stated. Haruki nodded smartly, before rushing off as instructed to look for the second-eldest of the Zollzero siblings.

"I'm gonna go take a look outside, if someone's attacking us, they're gonna regret it pretty quickly" I stated. Edric pouted, before nodding.

"Alright, if something goes badly though, you need to come back here, and if it's… if it's the _you know what_ then whatever you do, _do not_ let them cut you" Edric instructed me in a commanding tone. I nodded in understanding, before looking to Rogue.

"You coming?" I asked him. The Shadow Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Yes, I wouldn't let our allies' guild be attack and just sit back now, would I?" he replied, before smiling. _"And I wouldn't let you be attacked either"_ he whispered subtly, avoiding the detection of Juvia.

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. Now let's go!" I commented, moving off towards the entrance to the guildhall.

/

We exited the guild hall to a scene of pure devastation; there were craters in the floor, bricks laying shattered and broken from walls, and most disturbingly of all, Gajeel and Laxus badly injured and beaten on the ground. "What the hell happened here?!" I exclaimed as I surveyed the scene, as of that moment I could see no cause for such destruction.

"Wa-watch it… He's still around here" Laxus warned, struggling to stand up. I frowned.

"Who's here?" I asked the defeated Lightning Dragon Slayer.

Suddenly I felt a pressure on my back, which forced me to the ground, swivelling around I found Rogue staring down intently at me. Then I saw the figure, a familiar figure I had hoped I would never see again, standing behind him, between us and the guildhall. "I think he meant me" Hugo stated, as he stepped forward, sabre blade being sheathed in it's hip-loop. "Nice dodging by the way, Dragon Slayer" he added in his usual cocky tone.

I frowned, my eyes narrowing down on the blade-wielding warrior-wizard. "You… you did this?!" I questioned him angrily. Hugo shrugged.

"To be honest, _they_ did most of this, I just dodged out of the way" he replied in his usual calm-yet-confident tone. "I was bored waiting in ambush for your Dragon Slayer friend, so I figured I may as well deal with these two interesting targets whilst I waited… but then that damned Water Mage showed up with her infuriating water body. The only Mage who can resist my blade's power, and all because of a little skill like her water-body" Hugo added, tone turning from jovial to bitter quite quickly. I processed what he said.

"You were waiting for Natsu?" I asked him. Hugo nodded, clapping his hands sarcastically.

"Oh well done, give that man a prize. Yes, I was waiting for the Fire Dragon Slayer, however he -rather annoyingly- seems to be running a little late" Hugo stated in a sour tone. I chuckled.

"Yeah, he's annoying like that" I agreed, before calling on my magic, an icy mist rising about my form. "However, as annoying as he is, Natsu's still a part of our guild, and I will _not_ let you have him" I added, with a more aggressive tone. Hugo smirked, as he analysed my stance.

"You seem to think that you can stop me" he replied, before looking toward Rogue, "Even with the help of that other Dragon Slayer, you won't defeat me. Oh… and I hope you know I can already _sense_ you, Miss Erza Scarlet" Hugo gave a vague hand gesture toward a pile of rubble and other debris, out of which stepped Ezra, in full Flight Armor, wielding her usual sword in her leopard-printed gauntlet.

"So, you could sense my approach," Erza commented, before brandishing her sword toward her foe "you are not just skilled at combat it seems, but at detection as well" she added. I glanced toward the red-head for a moment.

"Yeah, he's strong Erza. I've faced off against this guy and some other's once before… you can't let their swords so much as graze you because they're cursed or something" I explained for the Sword Mage's benefit; although I had full faith in her abilities as a Swordswoman, against a foe such as this, with his magic, curse-giving blade, even she would be at a disadvantage.

Hugo smiled towards me. "You seemed to have been told an annoying amount of detail about me, this makes thing's… problematic" he stated, before grasping the hilt of his sword. "Perhaps I should deal with you first, before I go on to do what I intended to here" he added, his voice laden with venomous threat. I smirked cockily towards the dark-haired swordsman.

"You could try, but we _will_ stop you… or rather, they will" I replied, before nodding my head in the direction of the guildhall. Hugo followed my directions, and looked towards the building, in time to see Makarov standing with Thomas at the doorway.

"You have done a foolish thing in coming here" the old man stated, voice heavy with threat. Thomas nodded in agreement, his perpetually bored gaze looking down on the dark-haired man.

"Yes, although I must admit you've made my job a lot easier" he added. Hugo smirked.

"Ah, Thomas Zollzero. Youngest of the siblings, yet with probably the most annoying array of spells. However, I can state with great confidence that nothing will happen to me here, and I will most certainly _not_ be coming with you and your group to have my memories picked clean of their information" Hugo stated. Makarov furrowed his brow.

"How so?" he asked. Thomas seemed to pout momentarily, before shaking his head.

"It's impossible for you to escape, I've tagged you so that should you even attempt any teleportation or other such tricks, I will make all the magic power in your body explode at once. You would just end up in a million pieces" the boy stated. Hugo laughed.

"Just what I would expect of you, Thomas, however… I _will_ escape, and here's why…" with that Hugo drew from his pocket a small lacrima, before throwing it up into the air, where it hovered for a moment, glowing softly. With a click of his fingers, the crystal began shining more brightly, filling the air with numerous light screens, similar to those of Archive, each with a different image on them. One in particular caught my eyes, so too did it catch Thomas'.

It showed the Patriarch, the very man who only a week ago had banished his children after attacking our guild, beaten, bruised and bound in what looked to be a dark, dirty cell.

"Oh no…" Thomas breathed. Hugo laughed.

"Oh yes, we have your beloved father in custody, and now… if you don't want him killed, you will listen to what I have to say and then let me peacefully on my way" the dark-haired man mused.

Thomas frowned. "Damn it…" he cursed. I listened to the dejectedness of the boy's voice, before feeling dread rise in my own chest; it seemed like this was not going to end well.

Despite all that, one vague thought did make me smirk, albeit only for a moment. _Unlike usual… that idiot's missing all the fun_ I thought to myself.

 _However, that being said… where the fuck is Natsu?_

 **End of Chapter 27**

 **Chapter Hint; Blood Feud**


	28. Chapter 28 - Blood Feud

**Chapter 28 – Blood Feud**

 **Outside Fairy Tail's Guildhall, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Rogue Cheney**

"Damn it…" the two words seemed so devoid of emotion. I glanced over towards their source, Thomas Zollzero, who stood with Makarov at the entrance to the Fairy Tail guildhall. The blond teenager stood with a relatively blank expression on his face that made him unreadable, his hands in the pockets of his grey shorts, and his slumped shoulders gave no clue as to how he was feeling. _This isn't good… I don't know whether I should attack, defend, or just watch_ wondering as to what my next action should be, I looked to the Ice Mage beside me. _If he makes a move, I will too… otherwise I can only stand here and observe, since we still don't have enough information on this guy to attack him with confidence_ I made my decision firmly, placing all my trust in Gray to pick the right course of action.

Turning my attention away from the dark-haired Fairy Tailer I narrowed my eyes onto the source of all this commotion; the ebony-haired figure that had announce himself as Hugo and nothing more. _All the Zollzero's seem afraid of him, so he must be powerful… just…_ how _powerful we don't know yet_ I thought to myself, before becoming distracted by the many screens that were flying in the air around us, their source, a little lacrima crystal, hovering over the dark-haired sword-wielder's head. Each screen showed an image, some of interesting characters, and some of a cluster of plain dark buildings hidden amongst some trees, however the most interesting of all remained clearly visible from all sides. The picture of the beaten and chained Zollzero family Patriarch, which was displayed upon the largest screen, shaped into a cube with each of the four outward-facing sides displaying the same terrible image, had struck silence into all of us gathered there at that moment.

Thomas had been the only one to speak so far, if in fact you could call two words 'speech'. It was only after a particularly drawn-out stillness that another voice broke out. "Is this all you came to do, show off your picture book collection of images?" Makarov asked Hugo, his tone menacing, but level. _Sting would've gone crazy, screaming at him after seeing these… guess that shows the difference in maturity levels between the guild's Masters…_ I commented internally, a slight smile playing with the corners of my mouth which I quickly suppressed. Hugo frowned toward Makarov after his comment. "These are not some picture book collection, old man, they tell a lot more than that" he replied. Makarov scoffed at the response, before looking to Thomas.

"Are you alright, Thomas, you're being very quiet. Have these images startled you?" the older mage asked the boy, noting his surprisingly calm and quiet demeanour. _He's not even frowning… could these images be fakes?_

Thomas did not reply to Makarov's query for a whole three minutes. When he finally did, it was not in the way the Master had expected. "These images are very… interesting. From the light pattern on the trees in those four, they are three days old. Does that mean that our father put up _that_ much of a struggle that you could not leave the Family home in all that time?" Thomas stared at Hugo directly as he gave his impromptu analysis. Hugo smirked at the boy.

"Seems your reputation as a robot was not as unearned as I may have believed" Hugo stated, before nodding, "However yes, even drugged that damnable old fool still put up too much of a fight. He even broke the arm of one of those assigned to watch over him in the first day" the dark-haired man added. Thomas nodded.

"Yes, he can prove quite… troublesome to pin down. His skills make for one deadly combo, even if he only has access to a few of his limbs" Thomas muttered, before smiling. "However, the fact that those traitors who joined you underestimated him, despite having known about his abilities beforehand, proves just how sloppy they all are" he added with a hint of arrogance that I had not expected him to express. _Each time I have seen Thomas, he's always been by himself, or with Edric, and he never seemed to speak more than a few words to anyone, unless it was something of importance..._ I continued to analyse the situation as it unfolded before me, although I did keep my Dragon Slayer's senses tuned for any sudden shift that could mean that Hugo was attempting something. The male wasn't as unreadable as Thomas, however his skills and powers were still unknown to me, and so I could not be fully prepared for everything he might try. The dark-haired Ice Mage beside me shifted, however he didn't act. _He's watching and waiting too…_ I noted to myself as Hugo continued to speak.

"Despite the difficulty, however, as you can see we _have_ successfully manage to hole the _ex-_ Patriarch up in a neat little cell," Hugo stated to Thomas, before laughing, "Although, he won't have long in there, since in two days' time we intend, that is my master's, intend to put a permanent end to the previous Patriarchy, and begin ourselves anew down the _correct_ path" Hugo stated. Thomas frowned upon hearing this.

"You intend to put yourselves down the 'correct path' by following the wrong directions?" the boy commented, earning a slightly confused look from the sabre-wielding man. Seeing this expression on Hugo's face, Thomas elaborated. "That is to say; you call me inhuman and robotic because I show little emotion, yet you and your group will do anything and disregard any moral code just for the sake of your 'justice'. I guess that makes you a hypocrite of sorts" Thomas stated with a flat, unargumentative voice. This riled Hugo up greatly.

"You… you call _me_ a hypocrite? You mock the justice we seek?" the man said in an increasingly angry tone. "I have done much wrong, I admit, and although I may be many things… I am no _hypocrite_!" he roared, before brandishing his blade, "And even if I was, I would _never_... _never_ accept being called it by the likes of you, child of the Zollzero" Hugo barked, pointing the tip of the sabre right at Thomas's heart. The blond laughed at the gesture.

"You do not accept being called it by me? That's understandable" the boy commented, before pointing, "However, what I don't understand is why you're even bothering with that empty threat, there is _nothing_ that you can do in this situation with that flimsy weapon you wield" Thomas added. Hugo almost looked ready to leap upon hearing this; I tensed my body, just in case I would need to react, or dive into Shadow-Form suddenly.

"You would do well not to underestimate me, child" Hugo scowled, his eyes narrowing down onto the boy in front of him with an almost predatory look. "For one, what's to stop me from killing all these people here, you included? You may be a powerful mage; however, you are also a user of Archive Magic, magic designed to be used for defence and information transfer only… what could you really do to stop me now, at this very moment, from killing all of you and making my escape?" Hugo's tone was laced with so much venom it almost sounded inhuman.

Thomas smirked wickedly upon hearing these words; it was an expression that seemed very alien on his childish features. "What could I do?" he parroted, before shrugging dismissively. "Nothing… right now. However, I wouldn't even need to, for what I have already done has ensured your defeat, Hugo" he added, with a confidence that could only have been matched by his twin. Hugo furrowed his brows upon hearing this. _What does he mean 'already done'… has he planted some sort of trap spell?_

Hugo looked as though he was about to question the boy further, however as he attempted to take a small step forward, a sudden blur of motion caught his action, making us all jump in the process. "What th- _you!_ " Hugo spat, as the sound of steel clashing rang out across the evening air. Kenji smiled, his wizened features seemingly unperturbed by the ridiculous speed at which he had just arrived to deliver that attack, the twin katana in each of his hand being held back solely by Hugo's lone sabre. _Kenji's here… wait... his swords… one's on fire and the other one looks like… it's coated in ice? Does he also use magic swords?_

"Hello, my ex-pupil" the older sword master greeted his dark-haired opponent. Hugo smiled predatorily.

"Hello, my traitorous ex-master" he replied, in a tone both devoid of emotion, and yet full of bitter rage.

Thomas smiled, before bringing up his own Archive screen, which displayed a rough map of Magnolia, along with numerous other pieces of data. "Well timed Kenji" he commented flatly.

The older Mage nodded. "Yes, Master Arthur always does have a knack for getting people to a place on time" he replied. Hugo looked between the pair for a moment, before using his strength to push back on his blades and force some distance between Kenji and himself, although his sabre remained within striking distance of the old man.

"So… you used Archive before to contact Kenji and Arthur and then stalled me?" Hugo muttered, seeking confirmation from Thomas with a continued glare. The boy nodded, not even looking away from his Archive screen for a moment. _And he's already reverted back to how he usually is… I guess he was just stalling for time before then…_ I noted to myself, as I continued to watch what was occurring with increasing interest, but also increasing worry. To my side, Gray looked increasingly angry, and bored. _I hope he doesn't end up losing it and charging in like Sting usually does… that never ends well_ I added mentally, making sure to keep my own restraint in check whilst also simultaneously preparing to grab Gray if he looked as though he were about to do something stupid. "Damn it" Hugo cursed after a moment, "And after I spent so long spreading those rumours to keep this damned old timer on the other side of town" he added with a slightly cocky tone of voice. Kenji laughed upon hearing this; it was a cold gesture, since his face didn't seem to shift one millimetre from his stock stone-faced expression.

"Your lies are not nearly as good as Arthur's or Edric's, and especially not as believable as Lady Medea's… we didn't believe them for one second, however we did act to make you think that we did" Kenji commented, before holding up one of his blades to point toward Hugo with its tip. "We have been prepared for your attack for quite some time now, useless pupil of mine" he added.

Hugo gave an angry grunt at Kenji's comments, before he sidestepped a stray attack that was sent from Thomas and Makarov's position. "Aw damn, I missed" Haruki commented, standing in the same suit he had been wearing when I was sitting with him a little while ago. The teen boy grinned at his grandfather. "However, Gramps, don't tell lies… it wasn't _you_ or Master Arthur who saw through his lies, it was Lady Medea, and of course, Edric too" Haruki added with a vaguely amused tone, earning a scolding look from Kenji.

"Haruki, do not give out unnecessary information so willingly…" the older man stated, just as Medea, Edric and Arthur all appeared out of the same shimmering, red portal that Haruki had just stepped from.

"Oh great, all of you are here now…" Hugo complained in a bitter tone.

Edric chuckled. "Yes, the Zollzero's are back together again… although I suppose we shouldn't call ourselves that on account of our banishment" the teen mused. As soon as Edric had spoken, I noticed Gray become very alert, and I realised he was about to ask something. Just in case he got angry by the response I prepared to restrain him. _I don't want him losing it and rushing Hugo when everything's going so well… that_ definitely _will not accomplish anything…_

"How's Juvia doing?" the Ice Mage barked out, earning Edric's attention. The Dice Mage smiled, before shooting him a thumbs-up.

"She'll be fine, she was just rattled. Mirajane gave her some water to drink and tended to any minor injuries" Edric confirmed cheerily, before returning his attention once more toward his black-haired foe. I noticed Gray relax a little upon hearing this, and smiled to myself. _Although he complains about her advances, and he worries that I might somehow get angry at him because of them, I know he cares for her… as a friend_ I thought, before a sudden noise drew my attention.

"Alright, I think it's time I do what needs to be done" Arthur called out, magic flowing around his person as he took two steps towards the mind-manipulating Sword Mage. Hugo smirked at the eldest of the Zollzero Patriarch's children.

"You intend to kill me then? Gaining no information?" Hugo commented, in a tone that was unafraid. Arthur grinned slightly, before shaking his head.

"No, that would be stupid in this situation" he replied, earning a vague nod of agreement from Kenji and the others. "Instead, I would like to give you _one_ , and _only one_ , chance to give yourself up willingly; otherwise, I will use my power to trap you within a Territory until all of your magic is drained from both your body and that damned sword" Arthur laid out his terms in a firm and level tone of voice, his eyes steeled against intimidation and threat. Hugo scowled at the young male for a moment, before shrugging.

"I guess that would be reasonable" he stated, sheathing his sword, "However, I much prefer my plan of escape" he added with a laugh. Arthur furrowed his brows visibly. I tensed upon hearing this, expecting Hugo to leap at any moment and attack or even try to flee on foot. _With my shadow I should be able to reach him the fastest, and he can't cut me in shadow form_ I thought quickly, preparation making my muscles like well wound springs.

"You can't possible still think you can escape, Hugo… not with all of us here to stop you" Arthur stated in a confused voice. Hugo laughed again, before nodding.

"Of course, I don't think _I_ can escape… no, I think that _we_ are going to escape… in about three seconds" the ebony-haired man commented. Arthur and the others all frowned in confusion, however I realised, too late, that Hugo had an odd scent about him.

"He's got a lacrima in his pocket!" I shouted suddenly, as my well-honed Dragon Slayer eyes locked onto the very tiny flicker of light beneath the material of his trousers. Hugo turned his head to me, with a grin on his face.

"So now you notice Dragon Slayer" he stated, just as a figure appeared in a blur of motion. "However, it was too late. Good day everyone" with that the figure grabbed him and teleported away without so much as a single word being uttered. Arthur and the other's stood dumb-struck, the sheer annoyance clear as day on their faces. _We had him… right in front of us… surrounded… and we couldn't… capture… him…_ the surprise hit me pretty hard too.

Arthur let out the longest, angriest list of profanities I had heard in a long time. Just then, a newcomer voice broke out across the guild hall's courtyard. "H-hey, guy's… what… what happened here?" Natsu asked, as he and Sting walked in panting, their eyes glancing over the scene with intrigue.

 _Just in time…_ I mused silently to myself, frustration still growing in my chest. After a moment another thought occurred, that, at least, satiated my anger for a while. _At least Gray's safe…_

/

 **Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

We all sat down in the building's bar, trying to understand what had happened. Most of it came as quite a surprise for Natsu and I, since we had apparently missed a great deal in the half-hour that we were late for our meeting with Edric and the others. "So… is someone gonna explain all this from the beginning?" I asked, as I gratefully accepted a beer from Mirajane. Makarov nodded, drinking from his own cup.

"Yes, an explanation would be helpful. I thought you said we _wouldn't_ be attacked again, Arthur" the old man commented, before setting his aged gaze upon the blond-haired Spatial Mage. Arthur accepted the look humbly, before frowning.

"It wasn't within our expectations to have them come directly to us" he replied, in a tone that emphasised their own confusion into the matter.

"But I thought you said that you were aware they were here in Magnolia?" Gray asked as he sat down next to Rogue. Erza nodded.

"Yes, it would appear that you _should_ have expected some form of attack" the red-head concurred. Kenji stood forward to answer.

"That was a… lie" he stated, his face as rigid as ever. "You see, I knew I needed to make a little time for Master Arthur to pick up Medea and Edric, so I distracted him by mocking his plan" he added in detail.

I pouted upon hearing this. "So, they managed to get here without you knowing?" I asked the Zollzero eldest.

Arthur shrugged. "We knew that _something_ was going on, because all of my father's contacts went quiet, however… we never suspected something _this bad_ had occurred" he explained. Makarov nodded in understanding; having seen those images himself he understood how brutal the world these children lived in must be.

"It would concern anyone, naturally, to see their father in such a beat-up state" the old man said in a sympathetic voice. Arthur looked towards Makarov and furrowed his brows.

"What was…" his mind raced for a moment, before he realised. "Oh… those pictures, they were not what I meant by bad" he stated, earning odd looks from several present.

"But, that was your dad" Gray stated in a confused mutter. Arthur smirked.

"Yes, that's true, but remember _we_ were going to be the ones to take him down. Seeing him beat up was probably the best thing to come out of this" Arthur stated in an uncaring tone, before resuming his withdrawn expression. "No, what I meant was that our cousins have finally made their move, and we were unprepared. If we're not careful about this it's likely that we could be looking at our own deaths here" he stated, before glancing around at his siblings. "All of our deaths" he corrected. _He really cares about his siblings…_ I noted silently to myself.

Makarov frowned at the Zollzero children. "Do you mean that your cousins, or whoever this is behind all this, intend to kill you?" the old man asked. Edric gave a saddened expression.

"Yeah" he confirmed for Arthur, "We… don't really get on" he added in a tone much more muted than his usual.

Arthur looked to Edric, before looking back towards those of us assembled at the bar. "I think it may help if I explain things fully here, however… before I do I want to make a formal plea to your guilds, Fairy Tail and Sabertooth" Arthur stated. I looked to Makarov upon hearing this, however the old man maintained eye-contact with the blond Zollzero.

"What's your request?" he asked in a no-nonsense tone. Arthur smiled slightly to the old man, whilst maintaining his own air of dignity.

"I wish to ask for your assistance in this matter. In return… I will surrender all earnings the Zollzero has claimed from your guilds, if we are successful that is" Arthur stated. Makarov and I both smiled upon hearing this.

"Alright, we're listening" we both said in unison.

Arthur chuckled. "Okay… now, where to begin…" he muttered.

/

"Well, I guess I should start with _who_ it is we're exactly up against" Arthur began, addressing the group, who now also included several other nosey bystanders from within the guildhall, such as Lucy, Romeo, Wendy, Carla, Happy, Maccao and Wakaba. "You see, in our family it has always been a rule of strength that has decided who would be the Patriarch, and that is where the rift between us and our cousins begins. The foe we face, our deceased uncle's twin boys, Aaron and Adam Zollzero, have particularly despised our father since the time of his ascension to the position of leadership over our family and their allies" Arthur paused for a moment to allow this to sink in. Makarov nodded in understanding.

"Alright, so it's those two cousins who you're fighting. But who are these other guys that have attacked us so far?" the old Mage asked. Arthur smirked.

"They are servants of our cousins, and people who _used_ to serve our father loyally. The name they go by is the Blade Troupe, an elite fighting force of bladed-weapon specialists, each of which wields a magical weapon" Arthur stated, before looking to Thomas. As if on cue, the teenage Archive Mage brought up a screen large enough for everyone to see, displaying the five individuals that Natsu, Gray, Rogue and I faced in the abandoned building back in Sabertooth's town.

"These are the five members of the Blade Troupe, ex-pupils of Kenji and each a warrior in their own right. From left to right they are; Hugo, Caspian, Andor, Argent and Vance" Thomas stated aloud, before making a gesture that enlarged the image of Hugo displayed on the screen. "The man who arrived here earlier was Hugo, their leader. He is a wielder of a sabre-type blade, nicknamed the _Mind's Eye_. As its name suggests, with each cut it can deliver a curse that will continue to grow until it consumes the host and grants him full control over their mind and actions" Thomas made another gesture and the picture of Hugo diminished. In its place the image of Caspian, the red-headed scimitar wielder that Natsu and I had fought in the alley by the bar a while ago, grew to an enlarged size. "This is Caspian. He is a user of a scimitar-type blade, and also practices a small amount of Elemental Magic as well as some Telepathy, not that it is really all that strong. His weapon is named the _Touch of Hypnos_ and allows him, through a cut, to put a person to sleep, controlling their body whilst they are unconscious. This also can be used to implant subconscious thoughts into an individual if they are already asleep when cut, to active later at his whim" Thomas continued his explanation, before flicking the image of Caspian away to instead enlarge the next picture, showing the picture of the youngest in the Blade Troupe, brown hair sticking up at all odd angles. "This is Andor, the youngest in the Blade Troupe, and by all accounts the most dangerous one amongst them. His weapon of choice is a dagger, named _Edge of Reality_. With just one cut he can slowly diminish your ability to perceive your environment, and with subsequent cuts can continually weaken each of your five senses. In a worst-case scenario, he can leave you blind, deaf, unable to feel, unable to smell, and unable to taste anything. His power means his victims will not see his attacks coming, be warned of this. He was not a member of the original Troupe, but betrayed our family later and joined their side" Thomas gave an unusually stressed tone when explaining this guy's powers. My mind flickered back momentarily to the time we had faced the group. _He was always really cocky… was that because he thought his power was unbeatable?_ I pondered on this whilst Thomas brought up the next image. This one depicted the burly, silver-haired man who had done nothing but stare and growl angrily during our earlier confrontation with the group. "This is Argent. He is perhaps the most physically powerful of the group. His weapon of choice is a greatsword, called _Primal Urgency_. This weapon allows him to massively increase his strength and speed, but at the cost of his humanity. The more he uses this power the less reasonable he will become. In any interaction with him, caution is advised, and it would be likely reasoning with him would not work. Beat him down before he becomes too difficult to handle" Thomas explained, before removing the image of Argent to replace it with the final member of the group; the brunette called Vance. "The final member is Vance. He is a longsword wielder with very little known about his past or his skills. He always went on solo missions when he was part of our family's organisation. His weapon is the _Greater Agony_ and through its curse, allows him to enhance or weaken any physical aspect about an individual. This means he can increase the amount of pain you feel by cutting you, or desensitise himself against feeling pain by cutting his person. He also can make you feel tired, decrease your speed and strength, and overall just weaken your skills with each blow he delivers to you. Like Argent, he is a foe you would be best defeating quickly, since he doesn't respond well to reasoning" Thomas finished his summary promptly, making his screen vanish instantly after speaking. With his brother finished his explanation, Arthur continued.

"As you can see we face some dangerous foes; these Blade Troupe are skilled, as too are our cousins. Now, though, if you would let me, I would like to explain a little of the reason behind this feud, then perhaps you can make a decision about how you wish to proceed" Arthur looked towards Makarov and I to see if this was okay. I just shrugged and looked to Makarov, who nodded with anticipation.

"Go on, you can. It might help us have the edge, _if_ we accept your proposal" he stated, earning a slight smile from Arthur.

"Alright, so, to begin with I should say our cousins are about the same age as Medea, that is to say about nineteen. I am twenty-one, and so I am the only person here who even vaguely remembers the events that happened sixteen years ago" Arthur stated, pausing for a moment as he obviously decided how to tell this story. Once he had chosen his words he smiled.

"It is tradition in our family, started by my Great-Great-Grandfather, that regardless of age, the child to take the position as Patriarch must kill the previous one. This may seem a little extreme, however by following this rule our family has avoided unnecessary bloodshed between brothers for these last few generations. That was until the time of our Grandfather, the previous Zollzero Patriarch" Arthur paused for a moment to allow this to sink in. "You see, although our father now holds the title of "world's greatest assassin", that role originally belong to our Grandfather. Our Grandfather was a surprisingly kind man, towards his family at least, and he adored his two sons most of all, our father and our uncle. He was also a skilled fighter and practitioner of Territory Magic, just like me" Arthur grinned cockily as he mentioned this.

Edric chuckled slightly. "So, you say, yet if I remember rightly it was more me and Medea who were fighting our father last time" the teen chirped up, earning an annoyed look from the elder brother.

"Well, that was because I couldn't reveal all my tricks just at that moment, Edric, and you know it" Arthur retorted, before rolling his eyes. "Anyways… our Grandfather was such a skilled user of this magic that he had developed a secret technique, thought to be unbeatable by any Swordsman or Mage, the _Dominion_ spell. With this he could manifest a bubble of Spatial Magic around his person that he could use to control time itself, and according to every surviving record, he would use this spell twenty-four hours a day, including when he was sleeping. This made it impossible for either my father and his brother to sneak up on my Grandfather and subsequently kill him. Thus, a stalemate was reached between them" Arthur once again paused to let this information sink in. I decided to take the opportunity to ask a lingering question I had been withholding.

"So, if it was impossible, did that mean your Father used another means to become the Patriarch?" I asked Arthur, who smiled.

"A good guess, and yes, it is _partially_ correct. You see, my uncle, unlike my father, was not a man to take things into his own hands. Whilst my father uses Speed Magic and Telekinesis to kill up close and personally, my uncle was a Telepath, who had a much more interesting way of committing his crimes. Using his own secret technique, my uncle could place thoughts into another's mind, effectively allowing him to control them subconsciously. This way he could get others to commit the crimes, and he would still reap the rewards" everyone frowned upon hearing this news.

"That's terrible!" Lucy exclaimed, earning a nod of contempt from Erza.

"Agreed" the red-head stated. Arthur smirked.

"For the Zollzero's this is business" he commented, before shrugging. "However, that is not important. What is key is that my uncle was the only person capable of using a spell that could circumvent my Grandfather's _Dominion_. This led him to make a plan, alongside my father. In true Zollzero fashion, the pair attacked my grandfather whilst he was eating his dinner one night. According to records, my uncle charged in, unleashing a psychic attack strong enough to send my Grandfather reeling, his defence temporarily withdrawn to his mind. At that moment, our father rushed in using Speed Magic, and then, using his Telekinesis, crushed our Grandfather's heart whilst it was still inside his chest. This left our father dealing the killing blow, however he was not supposed to take the Patriarchy, as he had secretly agreed with our uncle to allow him to have the Patriarchy in his place" Arthur paused for a moment, to eagerly observe the faces of all those he had enthralled with his story-telling skills. Suddenly a hand shot up; it was Lucy.

"But he didn't allow his brother, your uncle, to have the position, right?" the blond-haired Celestial Mage asked. Arthur nodded.

"Correct, well guessed. Our father instead broke his pact, and took the position for himself. This led to a great rift in all the members of our household, and the Zero Star guild, who were split between serving our father, the one whom had dealt the killing blow, and our uncle, the 'rightful' Patriarch of the family, as per their agreement. Naturally, there was some fighting about this, however our uncle left quite quickly after our father crushed any defiance, taking his sons, our cousins, with him" Arthur once again paused, although for a shorter time than previously. "He didn't return until sixteen years ago, when they and Medea were only three. He had apparently used a forbidden technique, the same that has apparently been used on Laxus here in your guild, Makarov, to bind lacrima to each of their bodies. Unlike Laxus, however, their lacrima contain the power of Devil Slayers" Arthur looked directly at Makarov as he stated this. Makarov frowned hearing this.

"So, Ivan wasn't the only one who knew about that spell…" the old man muttered in disgust. Arthur nodded.

"Yes, although it surprises me more that someone other than our family would have familiarity to it" Arthur commented, earning a furrowed brow of intrigue from the older Master.

"How so?" he asked. Arthur smiled.

"Just as a little tangential aside, our family were not meant to be the bunch we are today. Originally, we were a clan of researchers, who's studies into magic gave us great fame and fortune. It was only by the discovery of a secret technique in my Great-Great-Great Grandfather's time that led us down the path we are now on. You see, our Great-Great Grandfather had no intention of continuing the family research, instead leading a group of bandits. After learning of the then newly discovered technique for increasing magic power, he assaulted and killed his own family, taking the skill and using it for himself. His actions then set us on course for what was to become our family's 'businesses' of assassination, infiltration, theft, and other devious deeds" Arthur said all of this with a despair that I had never heard in his voice before. Gray nodded in time with this information.

"You mentioned a while ago that you wanted to make your family researchers again, right?" the Ice Mage piped up. Arthur smiled a little more happily at this.

"Yes, it is our joint aim and goal, and also the cause of our father's scorn towards us, to return our family to its roots" Arthur confirmed, before continuing on with this previous story. "Anyways, back to our cousins… naturally our uncle returned to challenge our father for the position of Patriarch, however he had come with a cunning plan of his own. Realising that he could not overcome our father in a direct battle of strength, our uncle had hidden an explosive lacrima on his person, with just enough juice to kill one person. I remember watching this duel, however it is all a bit of a blur, since I was so young at the time. After talking for a few moments, our uncle threw something towards our father, however our father, not realising what it was, used his Telekinesis to redirect it upwards, towards the ceiling. The subsequent explosion caused the roof to collapse, and whilst our father could escape the falling debris unharmed, using Telekinesis to hold up a few rocks… our uncle was not so lucky. He was crushed to death" Arthur gave a solemn tone as he recounted this section of his own past. After a little moment of silence, the Territory Mage picked up and finished his story.

"So… anyways, our uncle's death was quite a blow to the family. Some accused our father of planning it, and left our service, these were namely Kenji's pupils, who had been quite close to our uncle, as well as a few other members, such as the man you saw earlier whom teleported Hugo out of that situation… annoyingly" Arthur finished his speech with a smile. "And now you know the real reason our cousins are targeting us; revenge… they intend to take the Patriarchy, however unlike me and my siblings, they will likely turn the Zollzero business into the most horrific imaginable, fuelled by an unquenchable rage. We cannot let this happen, and so… we implore your guilds to help us, for both the future stability of Fiore and the resuscitation of a long-condemned family" Arthur looked expectantly towards Makarov and I as he said this. I smiled to myself, before glancing over at Rogue, sitting with Gray. The Shadow Dragon Slayer gave me a cold-faced expression and a nod. _That means it's up to me…_ I thought to myself, before glancing over at Natsu and Makarov in turn. The pinkette's eyes practically glowed with passion; he obviously wanted to help these people. _And also get his own personal revenge for what they've put us through_ I noted mentally. Makarov just smiled at me.

With a nod to the old man we both met Arthur's gaze, our eyes steeled with decision. "Alright, we'll help" we both said in unison, "If you keep your end of the deal" Makarov added with a wink.

Arthur laughed. "I thought you might say that, so… let's talk plans" the Territory Mage stated, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, along with Thomas, who then detailed their own idea for a plan of attack on their family base, where their cousins were surely hiding.

After listening, Makarov and I both agreed to it, and I immediately set off with Rogue for Sabertooth, much to the annoyance of Gray and Natsu, who still wanted to have their triple date. I just shrugged at the pinkette as he followed me out of the guild discretely that evening. "Just think, after this we can go on as many dates as we want without having to look over our shoulder" I stated. Natsu pouted.

"But… we can do that now, so why leave right this instant?"

I laughed. "Because we _just_ said we only have two days to get ready, so it needs to be now… don't worry though, after this I'm gonna take you out for the biggest meal you can imagine and then… maybe… maybe we can start telling people about us, alright?" the pinkette's eyes danced with fire, an odd mixture of uncertainty, want, and love clear in the dark orbs.

After a moment's hesitation, Natsu kissed me sweetly, and then nodded. "Alright, first we beat the crap outta these kids, then we have our date" he agreed. I nodded in agreement also.

"Now, I gotta go, thing's have got to be planned if we want this to be successful" I stated. Natsu smiled.

"When did you become such a model Guildmaster?" he asked sarcastically. I pouted.

"Since I became a Master, now… are you gonna let go of my arm now nor not?" I looked down at where the Fire Dragon had gripped my sleeve as I had moved to leave with Rogue. Natsu smiled, before letting go.

"Sorry, now get going, the sooner this gets done the sooner-"

I cut off the pinkette with a laugh. "Yeah yeah, see ya later" I stated, before turning to follow Rogue.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer smiled at me as we left. "And here I thought Gray was clingy" he mused.

I just smirked at him. "You're lucky you're the _only_ Dragon Slayer in your relationship" I replied.

He laughed alongside me as we headed towards the… train station.

 _Desperate times… call for… desperate measures_ I thought to myself as we entered the dreaded place.

 _Although… I do kinda wish we had at least gone on the date_ before _all of this happened…_

/

 **Zollzero Mansion, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

The Zero Star guild, fresh from their betrayal, celebrated with a large party in the guild building that was placed just within the bounds of the Zollzero territory. Wine, drink and food flowed freely, allowed at the benevolence of their new master's will. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Just as the party was in full swing, however, the unlucky pair of sentries who had been outside came rushing in, breathless. "What the hell's going on?" the Number Two Mage in the puppet guild, who had recently taken the position of Guild Master when Kenji had been banished by the soon-to-be-previous Patriarch, demanded in an angry tone.

The sentries shook their heads. "They've… broken the door… they're coming…" they panted desperately, their voices brimming with fear and worry. The new Guild Master frowned.

"Who's comin-" he didn't even get to finish his sentence as a wall exploded in a shower of brick and debris.

"Fairy Tail…" a voice called out; it was Laxus, leading a large cohort of Fairy Tail's wizards.

"And Sabertooth" Minerva added, herself leading a group of Sabertooth's finest.

"Has arrived" They finished in unison.

/

"Looks like Laxus and the others have gone inside" Gray commented from his position watching the first battle of the night unfold, hidden in amongst the numerous trees of the Zollzero estate. Edric grinned.

"Then I guess it's our time to move, everyone knows what they've got to do, right?" he looked between his own force, consisting of Gray, Natsu, Lucy, Sting and Rogue. They nodded.

"Yeah" Natsu smirked wickedly. Sting pouted and tapped the pinkette's shoulder.

"Don't look so happy about this" the White Dragon scolded. Natsu laughed.

"But you're smiling just as much as me" he mused. Sting rolled his eyes, before looking back to Edric, who was smiling between the pair.

"Alright, since everyone's ready, let's go… we need to meet up with Thomas and the others at the doors, _if_ everything goes to plan. Stick close, it's easy to get lost in here" he stated, before heading off in amongst some very nondescript scrub. The group all nodded in understanding, before they made their way through the forest, following Edric towards what would become the second site of battle in that night's events.

Sure enough, as they approached the secret back-door to the Zollzero Mansion, Edric's small force was met by Thomas, Arthur, Medea, Haruki, Kenji, Juvia and Erza, who had taken another way in just to be careful and avoid too large a force being detected in one go. Unfortunately, however, they were also met with another, more unwelcome force.

The Blade Troupe, in full assembly, stood ready, guarding the way ahead. "We meet again" Hugo grinned as he stared down the larger force.

Arthur smiled. "Hello, idealistic follower of the _wrong_ path" he replied.

 **End of Chapter 28**

 **Chapter Hint; Topple the Troupe**


	29. Chapter 29 - Hostage Crises

**Chapter 29 – Hostage Crises**

 **Zollzero Territory, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

We neared the secret entrance to the Zollzero mansion under the cover of the night. Edric led us through the brush quickly, and carefully. His movements, although cautiously quiet, were brimming with confidence. I was at the front of the group, with Sting just a step behind me. Every time Edric stopped to check his location, or the that the path ahead was clear, the White Dragon Slayer would bump into me. After a little whilst I grew bored of this, and turned around, whilst Edric kept us hidden away from a few of the guards. "Here, take my hand. That way you'll stop bumping into me" I whispered to the blond. Sting looked at my outstretched limb suspiciously, before smirking.

"Is that all its for?" he responded with a wry smile, and a wink. I nodded.

"Yes" I stated, before turning back to continue following Edric. Sting held my hand all the way to the meeting place, before dropping it quickly as we emerged from the darkness of the brush, to a flattened plateau of ground, on the opposite side of the mansion building to where Laxus and the others were currently fighting.

Although it didn't take us all that long to get to the rendezvous point, I still felt a little apprehensive to be so far into enemy territory, Sting's presence did comfort me a little though, and losing the warm feeling of his palm in mine was more disheartening than I would have thought. Just as we arrived, the space around the plateau warped, before Arthur and his group arrived from a Territory spatial-bubble. Erza was already wielding a blade in her hand when she arrived, I noticed, however the group didn't seem to have encountered any issues. From beside the red-head, Juvia already was moving off towards Gray. I smiled internally, amused by the obsessive actions of the Water Mage, happening just in front of Rogue. Sting noticed my smile and elbowed me. "Don't smile like that, she could become a serious issue for Rogue later" the blond whispered. I frowned, before shrugging.

Arthur looked at the assembled wizards with a confident smile on his face. "Alright, we're all here and unharmed. Excellent. From here on, though, I doubt we will face too many difficulties, since only the family members know about this passage, and our cousins have been so out of touch not even they should be aware" he stated.

Thomas frowned at this. "Well, there's a small statistic that suggests they _may_ know about it" he corrected. Edric rolled his eyes and patted his twin on the head.

"Yes, yes, Tom. Just like there's a small statistic that we'll be hit by a meteor at this very second" the other boy laughed.

Arthur looked between his brother's, before returning his attention to the group. "Regardless, it shouldn't cause too much of an issue for us to proceed onwards from here. After that, the plan is simple, we need to isolate, preferably, but at least locate the Blade Troupe, and deal with them, before we take out our cousins. We don't have to kill them, just incapacitate and capture" he stated. Medea smiled.

"We'll take it from there" she added, her voice tainted with a vague wickedness.

I smiled in understanding; I was just fine with knocking out an opponent. Either way, after this I would get to go out with Sting again, unhindered. "Before we go in, does anyone need any reminders or info?" Arthur asked the assemblage. I shook my head, as did Gray, Rogue, Sting and Lucy; we all remembered the plan from the guildhall.

Once more Arthur smiled confidently, before turning on his heel and gesturing towards the doorway. "If that's the case, let's go" he stated.

As the Spatial Mage neared the door, with all of us in tow, a faint scent hit my nostrils. "Wait!" I called out to everyone, earning a surprised, yet intrigued look from Arthur.

"What is it?" Kenji asked in a cold, alert tone. I frowned.

"I think… Behind you!" I called out, just as a blade cut through the wooden door to aim for Arthur. Kenji reacted with lightning speed, one of his own katana, wreathed in flames, clashing against the assassin sword, just as Arthur teleported us all back a few steps from the doorway. The sudden relocation made my head spin momentarily, however unlike my regular motion sickness, this passed quickly.

"Damn" a gruff voice cursed, as from out of the explosion of splintered wood the image of the burly, silver-haired man rose.

Arthur looked to me. "Thank you for the warning" he stated. I nodded in receipt, before he faced the entrance once more.

Unfortunately, it seemed everything was not going as swimmingly as the man had just promised us, as from out of the path of destruction the Blade Troupe stood proud. "Argent, return" an all-too-familiar voice sounded out, causing the giant man to cease his continued stand-off against Kenji, both parties returning to their respective sides.

"Well, this is a surprise" Arthur stated towards the group, with their black-haired rapier-wielder leader at the front.

Hugo smiled, giving a vaguely respectively nod of greeting towards Arthur. "Hello, Arthur Zollzero. We meet again, hopefully for the last time" he greeted.

Arthur laughed. "Hello idealistic follower of the _wrong_ path, I could say the same about you" he retorted.

Hugo frowned. "I take it that its by your doing, our new allies are being attacked out front?" he asked.

Arthur and Edric scoffed. "New allies? You mean those traitors?" the teenage Card Mage commented.

Arthur smirked. "I'm surprised you'd call them that, since they did serve we the Zollzero, the family group you despise so much" he added.

Hugo shrugged, smirking. "Even the most novice chess player knows to keep a few pawns" he replied.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, but you're neither a novice nor a chess player. Surely you have considered the possibility that once we defeat our cousins, they will no longer side with you" Arthur replied. Hugo shrugged.

"That is only _if_ you defeat the young master's. Speaking of them, they are awaiting you in the garden" he stated. Arthur smiled.

"Well then, I guess we'll be on our way. Can't keep them waiting, can we?" he replied, before making a vague gesture for us all to move. As soon as he did this, Hugo raised his blade tip to be level with Arthur.

"No. Only the Zollzero bloodline may pass beyond this point, your guild lackeys may remain here" he stated, his voice cold and unmovable as steel.

Arthur looked toward Hugo for a moment, before looking around at the group. "What's to stop us stomping on you, and then dealing with our family matter?" he asked.

Hugo raised an eyebrow, before smiling. "Well, whilst you do have the numbers advantage, you know just how powerful we Blade Troupe are. To fight us and then the young master's would cost a great deal of your magic power, would it not?" the black-haired man replied.

Arthur pouted in thought for a moment, before looking towards us, and his siblings. "It seems he is correct, so we have a choice? How do you wish to proceed?" he asked us.

Erza held up her sword. "He is correct, you would waste time and magic power fighting here with us. Even if you leave we still retain our numbers advantage. Arthur, you go, and we will stay and fight" the red head stated, earning a nod of agreement from me.

"Yeah" I voiced. Arthur looked for a moment between our faces, before turning his attention to Kenji and Haruki.

"What about you two?" he asked. Haruki smiled.

"I will do what I must to protect Edric, however if he wants me to, I will stay here" the teen stated. Kenji scowled at his grandson for a moment, before meeting Arthur's gaze.

"We serve the Zollzero House, and so we serve you. We will stay if you ask us" he stated.

Arthur nodded at the pair. "Good, proud answers" he replied, before looking towards us. "Alright, it seems we've dawdled long enough. Shall we go?" he asked the three.

Edric and Medea nodded, however Thomas shook his head. "I will stay to coordinate things" he stated flatly. Arthur nodded in understanding.

"Okay, come on then you two" he stated, before making a move towards the entrance. Hugo and the remainder of the Troupe all stood aside to allow the three to pass. Just before he was out of sight, Edric turned back to us.

"Good luck to you all. Haruki, keep your butt alive" he beamed. Haruki blushed embarrassedly, before Edric disappeared.

Once we were alone, the five swordsmen all returned to the staring positions, forming a defiant line against of force of nine. Hugo then rubbed his hands together. "Well now, that just leaves _you_ " he grinned wickedly.

/

Five predatory eyes gazed down on our group, their number less than ours yet their confidence still brimming. Sting shifted beside me, before looking around. "Even if they have left, we still have the numbers advantage" the White Dragon stated in a quieter voice. Although it sounded level, I could detect a faint confidence in him. _Heh, he's already faced dragons and demons, why should either of us be scared of a couple of swordsmen_ I thought in concurrence.

Kenji, however, overhearing this, turned towards us with a scowl on his face. "We may have the numbers advantage, however do not grow complacent" he stated in a rough-edged voice. This took us by surprise, however it was Erza who responded.

"But even if they are skilled, there will be no way they could defeat all of us. Especially with a warrior like you by our side" she stated in her usual brash and brazen tone. I nodded in agreement.

Kenji shook his head. "No. They are my students, and in all their training I had them fight at least two dozen other swordsmen and wizards by themselves. They already have faced greater numbers than this and won" he explained. Haruki nodded, already taking out both of the revolvers he had stashed away in his jacket pockets.

"If what I hear is true, then they've defeated thousands as a unit, and probably hundreds each individually. This won't be easy" the teen added, before checking his guns over.

A few laughs sounded out from the assembled Blade Troupe, before the youngest, Andor, spoke out. "It's only now that you realise the power we have. You guild wizards sure are slow" the teen grinned.

Hugo looked towards the younger male, before shrugging dismissively. "You shouldn't dismiss them so quickly, Andor. Unlike those fools of the Zero Star guild, these are Mages of Sabertooth and Fairy Tail, two of the most powerful and reputable guilds in the country. Plus, they have Thomas, Kenji and Haruki on their side" he stated. "Fighting even seven of them would be an issue for us" he added, his tone tainted vaguely with sarcasm. I looked towards the black-haired rapier wielder with confusion on my face.

"But there are eight of us" I called out, "Or are you so stupid that you didn't count right?" I asked. Hugo locked eyes with me before answering, a darkness in his gaze suggested I wasn't going to like this next answer. I balled my hands into fists.

"I didn't miscount, Natsu Dragneel. I simply stated what I see, and what I see are _seven_ opponents" Hugo replied. I frowned at this, as did the others, before Hugo laughed loudly. Looking as though he was about to elaborate, the black-haired man looked around at his own group of five, before he and Caspian drew their blades.

The scimitar and sabre tips pointed up, bright light emanating from their blades.

Then the world went dark.

/

 **Zollzero Mansion Grounds, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Hugo and Caspian held their blades aloft, a light shining from them that subsided quickly. Initially, nothing seemed to happen, however it wasn't long before the first victim of the night fell. Natsu hit the ground with a heavy thump.

Sting was the first to reach for the unconscious pinkette, using his arm to lift Natsu's head gently, whilst the others all crowded around to observe. Only Kenji and Haruki remained facing their opponent. Lucy, Erza and Thomas all leaned down to take a better look at the Fire Dragon Slayer. "What's happened to him? Was it that light?" Lucy asked in a worried tone. Sting frowned, he could smell something faintly wrong with Natsu's scent but couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Thomas summoned up an Archive screen, running a quick test over Natsu's body. "It seems that he is under the effect of their curses. They are keeping him unconscious and using it to control his body and mind. Who knows what kinds of nightmares they're showing him" the teen explained quickly, as his eyes scanned over the data presented to him on the magical screen.

Sting narrowed his eyes at Thomas upon hearing this. "Is it from the cut?" he asked. Thomas didn't look up, but nodded in answer.

Lucy, Gray and Erza all looked to Sting as he mentioned the wound Natsu had received, however before he could elaborate, Natsu opened his eyes, sitting up. "What th-" Gray started, before Natsu stood up and pushed past him, moving over to stand beside Hugo.

The black-haired sabre wielder smiled brightly as the pinkette approached, leaning an arm on Natsu's shoulder as he stood facing toward the remaining group. "Well now, that should even things up somewhat" he stated in a casual, yet callous, tone.

Thomas stood and faced the leader of the Troupe. "You planned to exploit Natsu all along, since you knew that we would bring him with us?" Thomas' tone made the question sound more like a statement. Hugo nodded all the same.

"Indeed. Ever since first meeting them at the beach, Natsu and Sting over there have been quiet involved with you Zollzero. I figured it could prove amusing to me to get them to fight against each other" he stated in a gleeful tone.

Thomas scowled, before looking towards the group. "It seems Natsu has become _their pawn_ in this" he commented. Gray shook his head.

"He may be an idiot, but Natsu wouldn't hurt us, his friends" he stated.

Caspian, the scimitar wielder, laughed upon hearing Gray's statement. "You think so? Well, let's test that theory shall we" he stated, before waving a swiping gesture in the air with his blade.

As soon as he did this, Natsu began walking back towards his allies' group. Sting stood beside Kenji at the front as the pinkette returned. "Natsu?" he called out. There was no answer, not even the flicker of a smile.

Sting reached forward to touch the Fire Dragon Slayer, however as he did so, Natsu leapt forward, with a flaming fist, swinging and punching him in the gut. Sting gasped in surprise, before Natsu turned and returned to the Blade Troupe's side once more. "Hmm… nope, looks like he _will_ hurt you after all" Caspian mused in a half-laughing voice.

Hugo, however, cut into the scimitar-wielder's musings with a sharp tut. "We've proven out point" he stated flatly, before smiling viciously. "The question now becomes; how do we proceed?"

Lucy glared angrily at the enemy group, whilst Rogue tended to the doubled-over White Dragon Slayer. "What are you going to do? Make us fight him?" she asked, her voice demanding.

Hugo laughed. "Well, that's one possibility. We could of course make him fight you, however at the same time, we could keep him as a very… _valuable_ hostage" the man enjoyed watching the faces of anger flare up in his opponent group as he mentioned this. Only Haruki, Kenji and Thomas seemed unmoved by his taunts.

Lucy even looked as though she was about to jump out and attack them herself, before a voice cut in that made her stop. Or rather, a thought.

" _If you are all going to be led like sheep, stop and think for a moment_ " Thomas state telepathically.

" _What's this?_ " Gray responded.

" _My Archive's communication feature. Now, listen, quickly…_ " Thomas' voice was level, but tinged with a need for time. " _If you want Natsu back, just follow my plan, if not… worst case scenario is they kill him_ " he let that idea hang in their air for a moment, before he began elaborating. They all listened intently, all the while Hugo watched and taunted them.

Then, with carefully masked confidence they faced their foes.

/

" _So, what's the plan?_ " Sting asked silently. Thomas gave a vague look, his back to the Blade Troupe allowing him to make such faces.

" _It's pretty simple; we need to drag Natsu away from them, then beat him down. After that I'll take it from there, and remove that curse_ " Thomas stated, even in his telepathic communications his voice sounded flat and unemotional.

" _But_ how _are we going to get him back?_ " Gray asked, pressing the blond teen for more information.

Thomas gave a mental sigh. " _It's pretty easy. First, we just need to taunt them to get them to use Natsu against us again, then when he starts attacking, you all can fight Natsu and keep him pinned, whilst Kenji, Haruki and I keep the Blade Troupe at bay_ " he explained. Sting frowned slightly at hearing this, but tried to keep the action covered so that the Troupe wouldn't notice their silent communication.

" _I… don't think I can fight Natsu…_ " he stated a little unsurely. Erza and Lucy both looked to him as he said this, questioning gaze beaming through their eyes.

" _Why not?_ " Lucy asked inquisitively.

" _You've fought him before, and you always used to enjoy sparring with Natsu_ " Erza added on. Sting tensed, he could feel Gray and Rogue watching him from the corners of their vision too.

" _Er… how should I… those times were different…"_ Sting floundered for words, until he realised there was only one way out of this situation. With a deep breath, he chose what his next words would be with care. _"Although now is_ not _the time for this… I guess I should say that Natsu and me have been… well, dating_ " Sting said what he had to, then went deathly quiet.

It took a moment before anyone responded, as everyone processed the information. Gray and Rogue said nothing. The first person to make a move was Erza. " _Well that was…unexpected. But not bad news…_ " the red-head commented.

Lucy gave a sly nod. _"Yeah, I guess after seeing the way you two interacted at the guild for those few months it kinda makes sense_ " she mused.

Sting couldn't help the slight upturning his lips did as he heard their responses. Juvia, too, seemed happy. _"I'm glad you're happy_ " the Water Mage stated.

Before anyone could say, or ask, anything else, however, Thomas butted in once more. _"Okay, now that we've learned that very useful piece of information, I need to say that Sting,_ " he paused to make sure he had the White Dragon Slayer's attention, " _Although it may be hard for you, you_ need _to be the one to fight Natsu. Not because of some emotional crap about him being your boyfriend or whatever, no… you only need to fight him because_ you _are the only person here with a spell that can be used to paralyse a person without harming them_ " Thomas commented. Sting listened to this for a moment, before weighing his options.

As he considered these, a promise he made to Natsu filled his consciousness; it was the promise he made just before Natsu and he went on their little mission to the club;

 _"_ _How are you so confident that nothing is gonna happen to you? That curse could be used against us at any time" Sting had said._

 _"_ _I'm confident because I know that if anything happens you will be there to stop me, dummy. You, Edric and Medea are all strong, and capable fighters, right?" Natsu replied._

Those words filled Sting with confidence. With a smile, he nodded faintly.

" _Alright, let's do it!_ " he stated. Thomas smirked wickedly, back to the Troupe for another minute, before he turned around.

/

"Even if you've gotten Natsu, there's no way he'll let himself be controlled by you for very long!" Sting barked out suddenly. Only a few moments had passed since Natsu had been sent out to attack the group, however in that short time, they had planned completely for Natsu's rescue, and the Troupe's defeat.

Hugo looked to Sting with an amused, yet still predatory gaze. "You seem to underestimate the power of our cursed blades, Dragon Slayer. Although… then again, I suppose I should expect as much from you, since it as only by yours and Natsu's foolishness that we were able to prepare this perfect situation" Hugo replied. Sting frowned upon hearing this.

"What do you mean?" he questioned the black-haired man, who then just looked to Caspian beside him.

The scimitar wielder grinned brightly. "Well, perhaps you remember a certain train journey a few weeks ago?" he asked. Sting narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe" he responded. Caspian laughed.

"Well, regardless, I was on that train, in disguise of course. My original plan had been to accidentally 'bump into' you when we were getting off the platform, and thereby scratching you and the pinkette with my blade. However… as it turns out you made it even easier, since you and your overeager boyfriend just _had_ to go have some private fun in a hotel room at one of the stops on the train, leaving your friends to go on without you" Caspian watched Sting's face carefully as he spoke, noting the ticks revealing that Sting knew exactly to when he was referring.

"What did you do?" Sting's face contorted into more of an angry mask. Caspian grinned wickedly.

"Well… maybe I just used my sword to knock out the hotel staff, then _maybe_ I waited outside until I heard you were asleep. Then just maybe I snuck inside, and delivered a little cut to this pink-haired idiot's leg whilst he was sleeping" Caspian paused for a moment as he watched Sting's rage bubble up to full.

Sting on the other hand allowed himself to appear angry; he figured it would be easier to get them to use Natsu the more emotional he appeared. "Then what, you cut me too?" he asked in a growl.

Caspian sagged his shoulders in an over-emphasised sigh. "No, unfortunately it seemed my cut began to wake Natsu up, and so I had to make good my escape without giving you a present too" he stated.

Sting smirked upon hearing this. "Good, looks like even asleep, Natsu still looks out for me. Which is exactly why he _won't_ allow himself to be controlled" Sting stated in a matter-of-fact tone that he could easily see was annoying both Caspian and Hugo.

The latter male smirked slightly. "Well then… why don't we _really_ try and see what Natsu's view on the matter is, hmmm?" he mused, before raising his blade and levelling the tip perfectly with Sting. "Go on, Natsu" he barked a moment later.

Sure enough, as Sting had expected, Natsu began following the unspoken command, walking forward slowly, at first, before picking up the pace and rushing Sting's position. In order to 'sell the illusion', as Edric had so often said to them in the many various jobs they had performed with Natsu and Sting, the blond gave a feigned look of surprise, as Natsu raised his fists in a weight-filled, fire-infused punch. Right as the blow was about to connect, however, Sting dodged below, and delivered his own magic-imbued blow to the pinkette's chest. "White Dragon Claw!" Sting barked, as the attack connected, leaving the familiar glowing white stigmata on the Fire Dragon Slayer's chest.

Hugo's once grinning face immediately dropped into an annoyed grimace. "No…" he growled lowly.

/

 **Zollzero Mansion Grounds, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

The whole ordeal took no more than a few moments, however it was the most crucial three minutes of the whole exchange.

I grinned as I looked confidently back towards the Blade Troupe; Hugo was still denying what had just happened. I decided to correct him. "Natsu is staying over here, with us" I stated toward the black-haired leader, gesturing towards the now paralysed and unconscious Dragon Slayer held in my arms. Hugo's nostrils flared at my gesture.

"No… no…" he seemed to have trouble processing how he had been played by our group.

A minute or so later, Thomas stepped forward. "Yes, and we're not giving you him back" the teen added to my comment. Caspian looked worriedly towards Hugo.

"So… what now?" he asked, eyes showing his annoyance at having lost his puppet. Hugo gritted his teeth in anger, before raising his sword aloft.

"Natsu, return. Now!" he barked, he trying to gain some influence over his escaped hostage. Natsu did not budge, however I did sense some strain being placed upon the stigmata's restraints. _It won't last long… Natsu can quite… easily… remove this normally, so it shouldn't take the unconscious version of him too long to work it out either_ I thought to myself, with more than a little annoyance that my spell was so ineffective in this situation.

Looking towards my allies, I nodded to them. "Guy's… you might need to help me pin him down" I whispered quietly, hoping that neither Hugo, nor the rest of the Troupe, could hear me. Gray, Rogue, and Lucy all came assist me, each taking a limb, whilst I maintained a grip on Natsu's right arm. Juvia and Erza stood ready over us, the pair watching carefully should Natsu escape, each prepared to recapture him as needed.

That only left Thomas, Kenji and Haruki facing the Troupe head on. "So, what will you do now that you've lost your captive?" Haruki asked, his tone level, but with a hint of venom that hit home the blunder the Troupe had just committed. I watched Hugo's face intently; his expression always seemed to be a mask for something deeper, however his scent remained neutral regardless. _Weird, it's like he only shows his personality when he's angry_ I thought to myself, analysing things only a Dragon Slayer would understand. Rogue seemed to notice this too, as like me the Shadow Dragon Slayer was watching the black-haired male's face intently.

Hugo surveyed the scene for another moment, before smirking slightly. "Hmmm… it seems that we must retrieve the hostage ourselves" he stated, in answer to Haruki's prior inquiry, before nodding at Argent. The burliest member of the Troupe nodded back, before he flexed his muscles, drawing his greatsword from its back-sheath. "Hmph…" he exhaled once, before rushing the distance in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. I was stunned to see the bear-like male move so fast, however what surprised me more was what stopped him; Kenji stood directly in his path, katana blade, this time coated in ice, clashing against the raised greatsword. Argent stared intently at the man, but did not speak. Kenji smirked slightly.

"You always did like to deliver one attack and finish off your opponents quickly, Argent" the old man mused, before he put a bit more force to oppose the bigger male's weighty over-head blow. Argent blew air out of his nose.

"That is because I am the strongest" he commented flatly, his voice a basso rumble that seemed to drive home the great size difference between himself and all those others present. Kenji did not seem even remotely afraid to hold off the giant.

"It seems I wasted my time trying to teach you anything" the old man commented, before smirking faintly. I could see his muscles tense. _He's about to do something_ I thought to myself, just as Natsu began to press against the magical constraint I had placed on his body once more. "Brawn makes an attack hurt, but brains… they are what makes sure that attack _connects_ " Kenji stated, before heaving up with his katana, swiping the blade in an arc that should have sliced the upper bicep of the greatsword-wielder. Unfortunately, Argent really was as quick as he was strong, and in one swift movement, he sidestepped the upward arc of the katana, aiming to deliver another blow to the old man, this time from his open side. "I said I _am_ the strongest" Argent rumbled as he sent the sword down in a heavy-handed attack, stopping just before it connected. "Ugh…" he groaned.

Suddenly a new scent took my attention away from the small stand-off occurring right in front of me; it was the smell of strong magic. "No, you don't!" Haruki shouted, his guns already in his hands, the light from two magic shots quickly fading from Argent's abdomen. The giant looked passed his former teacher towards the teen.

"You brat…" he grumbled. Haruki grinned.

"This _brat_ is the best marksman in all of the Zero Star guild" he replied, before Hugo interjected.

"And he's about to lose his head" the black-haired male stated, before looking to another of his compatriots. "Vance, go and get him" Hugo barked in a commanding tone. The longsword-wielder nod in receipt of his instructions, before drawing his weapon from its sheath.

"Okay" he replied, before dashing forward. As he did this, Argent took the moment of distraction to attempt to attack Kenji once more. No longer open, however, the old man once more parried the attack, before delivering one of his own, that pushed the burly silver-haired man back. Seeing that his grandfather was okay, Haruki redirected his attention to the opponent quickly covering distance towards him.

"Alright, guess it's two-on-two" he stated, before unloading each of his guns in turn, cursing as the magical projectiles were either deflected, or dodged by the brunette swordsman. "Hmph… neat trick, but how's this?" Haruki commented, dropping his weapons and holding up the fingers on each of his hands like a child pretending to wield a weapon. Vance laughed.

"Bullet Magic? What an annoyingly dull trick!" he stated, before going wide-eyed as two projectiles were fired from the tips of Haruki's fingers and split into hundreds of tiny, needle-like blades of light that delivered a smattering of pain all over the brunette's body.

"Ha, try and dodge my Scatter-Shot… if you can!" Haruki grinned, before he gave a slight glance back towards Thomas. The two shared a look for a moment, before Haruki resumed his confrontation. Not a minute later, Thomas came up beside me.

"Alright, they will buy us some time. I'd estimate it'll take about four minutes for either Argent or Vance to give up on defeating their opponent, and instead head over here. Erza and Juvia, stay on guard" the blond Archive user stated. The two women nodded in understanding, their gazes becoming fixated on the fights before them to notice if either of the two swordsmen began heading in our direction. I fixed my own gaze upon the teen Zollzero.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" I asked. Thomas did not look to me as I asked my question, from the moment he had come over, he was already pouring over data presented on three individual Archive screens.

"In those four minutes, or rather the next three, I am going to remove the curses inside Natsu" he stated, matter-of-factly. I raised my eyebrows hearing this.

"You can do that?" I asked, before something else hit me, "Although… if you could why didn't you do it when we came back from the beach job, when Natsu was cut for the first time?" I added as an after-thought.

Thomas shook his head. "I figured it out _after_ that, when we hired you and Natsu to do that job with Edric and Medea at the bar" Thomas replied. "Now… it should just take a few moments to scan his body and-" as a soft yellow beam of light began passing down Natsu's body from head to toe, the Fire Dragon Slayer finally began moving again, thrashing about as if in pain.

"Whoa, Natsu… calm down!" I sputtered in surprise, as I rapidly increased my grip of the pinkette's right arm, Lucy, Gray and Rogue all doing the same.

"For… goodness sake… Natsu" the Celestial Spirit Mage commented in annoyance; she had Natsu's right leg, and seemed to have some difficulty in keeping the limb still.

"Just a few more minutes" Thomas stated, his eyes still scanning over lines and lines of information presented to him at a speed only those with high-quality Gale-Force Reading Glasses should have been able to process. As the time closed in on its end, Natsu began threshing about less and less, until he was barely doing anything more than clenching his fists. My eyes never once wavered from the pinkette's face, as it went from the dull, half-awake expression he had been wearing since the moment he was taken over, to the peaceful, sleepy expression he wore after Thomas announced the scan was complete. "Does that mean it's over?" I asked cautiously. Thomas shook his head.

"Unfortunately, all I can do at the moment with the time we have is deactivate the curses, turning them into nothing more than magical energy lingering inside Natsu's body" he explained, just as a loud curse of annoyance sounded out across the plateau where we were fighting.

"Damn it all!" Hugo roared, "It looks like we won't be using our hostage plan any more. Time for Plan B, Blade Troupe… cut them down!"

/

I looked up to Thomas with a worried expression. The teen's face had gone slack and dull. "Oh dear… it seems like we've completely run out of time" he stated.

I gritted my teeth. "So, we're gonna have to fight them all off _and_ protect Natsu?" I questioned the boy, seeking his thoughts on the matter. Thomas did not respond, his eyes had a far-away quality that proved he was more deeply thinking about matters.

Gray, Rogue and Lucy all noted Thomas' lack of attention, and looked to each other for a moment, before looking to me. "You keep Natsu safe, we'll hold them off. Once he wakes up, you two join in too" Gray stated, speaking on behalf of all those present. I nodded.

"Alright just… be careful" I responded, heaving Natsu up in my arms, princess style. _Agh… he's heavy, but not heavy enough that I_ can't _carry him_ I thought. Just as I began to make my way over to the edge of the plateau, where I could watch the proceedings without endangering Natsu, I felt a presence behind me. Dodging forwards, I felt a blade slice the air where I had just been.

"No, you don't!" Caspian stated, scimitar glinting viciously. "I'm not letting you get away from us" he added.

Erza and Kenji both noticed the invaders presence, however it was the katana-master who was the closest, and quickest, to react. Dual wielding katana in each of his hands, Kenji viciously attacked Caspian, pushing the male back in line with the remainder of his group. "I've had enough of this" Kenji barked suddenly, as he stood alone against the Blade Troupe, the rest of us to his back. "I was your master, and I have to take responsibility for my actions… as such… I will take you all on myself" he declared. Hugo raised an eyebrow at this statement, graciously keeping his position in line with his comrades.

"You will, old man?" he mused with a hint of predatory anger in his words. Kenji locked eyes with Hugo.

"I may be getting old, but I'm not quite in my grave yet Hugo" he replied.

Hugo laughed. "No, but it looks like you want to be in there soon" he commented, before raising his blade, "And _I'm_ going to be the one to put you in it" he finished. Kenji laughed, before flipping the twin katana he had in his hands and placing them into the ground, where they remained active, one immolated, the other covered in a sheen of frosted ice. He then took the other two katana from his back-sheaths. These weapons were a little different than the two he had previously been using; instead of steel, they appeared to be made of different substances, one made of wood, the other made of copper or bronze.

As Kenji drew the two additional weapons he began to laugh. "I think you might be getting ahead of yourselves, since you forget… unlike all of you 'single blade wielders' _I_ am a master of four weapons, for I am Kenji Himura, also known as _Kenji who carves the Four Seasons_ " he stated proudly, "Sword Master of the Zollzero Family, and leader of the Zero Star guild" he finished. Hugo watched the display with vague amusement, and obvious mixtures of anger and hatred on his face.

"Hmph… well then, this will surely be a battle for the history books… the mighty Blade Troupe, versus the Sword Master Kenji Himura" Hugo responded. Kenji nodded at the black-haired swordsman.

"Indeed… now… how about we start on the count of three?" he asked, with vague cheer in his voice.

Hugo smirked wickedly. "Alright, let's make this an interesting duel" he replied.

With his opponent's agreement, Kenji began counting down. Then the first true, all-out battle, of that night began.

/

 **Zollzero Mansion Inner Garden, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Arthur, Medea and Edric made it through the mansion without running into anyone, either a a traitor or a house-hold staff member. Following the vague hint that had been left on a scrap of paper left in the corridor following on from the back-door entrance, the trio made their way over to the Inner Garden.

It had been a place they had each spent a great deal of time in over their years in the mansion. Training, playing, parties, and other such extravagant events… many things had happened there and now it seemed like one last event, probably the biggest in the Zollzero's rather dark history, was about to unfold. Needless to say, they were all anxious.

"So, we're all clear on the plan?" Arthur asked, for the fifth time. Edric rolled his eyes and nodded, secretly keeping a tight hold on the dice in his pocket trouser pocket for reassurance.

"Yes, for the _fifth time_ , we all know what we're doing… we just need to hold them off until Thomas can finish things up on his end and activate the spell, right?" the blond teen stated, already knowing the exact answer to his inquiry before Arthur even said it.

"Correct" Arthur stated, before looking ahead. Just a little farther and they would be at the door leading out to the Inner Garden. "Looks like we're here" he added, more for himself than anyone else. Medea smiled at Arthur, noticing the obvious concoction of emotions bubbling within her brother.

"Yes, now come on Arthur. We have work to do" she said, in a firmer tone, a weak attempt to boost his confidence. Arthur looked to Medea intently, smiling.

"Yes, we do" he confirmed, before striding forward, and opening the door. Edric looked to Medea as they followed their eldest sibling, a vague smile shared between them. Then they stepped out into the night-time air, joining their brother as he stood about seven paces from a large cage, unceremoniously placed in the middle of the normally picturesque scene.

In the cage sat a bored-faced, angry eyed, mustachio'd man. "Took you long enough to get here" the Patriarch commented dryly from within his imprisonment. Arthur smirked.

"Hmm… but I'm definitely glad I came, father… if nothing else to see you locked up like this" the blond male replied.

The Patriarch's face did not falter from its severe grimace. "Laugh all you want, the credit for this scheme lies not with you but with… _them_ " he stated, before nodding his head backwards, toward the area behind the cage. Arthur looked through the bars to the individuals that his father gestured to. "It seems you are not the only group of schemers' in our family" the Patriarch added.

Arthur smirked momentarily, before meeting the gazes of his cousins. "Yes, they are so much like our uncle it seems. If I recall correctly, _he_ was quite the schemer too, not that _you_ didn't make use of that, am I right?" Arthur didn't break eye contact from the pair, who were seemingly allowing Arthur and the others to talk to their father undisturbed. It didn't last long.

"You speak of our father, yet you have no right" one of the twin cousins stated aloud. Arthur smiled.

"Yes, I do, because he was also of our blood, as are you two… and who says I have no right?" he responded.

The cousins both scowled at hearing this comment, each picking a route around the cage until they were facing the trio of Zollzero children. "We say you have no right" they both replied in unison. Arthur looked between the pair for a moment, before sighing.

"What gives you right to say what we can and can't do, Adam and Aaron Zollze-"

"Those aren't our names!" the pair butted in, before Arthur could finish his sentence.

Arthur, Medea, and Edric all looked surprisingly at the duo, before making confused faces. "So then… what _are_ you're names, cousins?" Edric asked.

The pair smiled. "I am Daichi" one answered.

"And I am Tenchi" the other continued.

"And we are _not_ your cousins" they finished in unison.

Arthur frowned at the pair. "So, you… have rid yourselves of your birth names and taken upon a new mantle?" he asked. The two teens nodded, which in turn made Edric smile.

"Interesting…" the Card Mage murmured, gaining the attention of the duo. They wore inquisitive expressions, that were only slightly tinted with anger. For now.

"What is interesting?" Daichi asked. Edric smiled.

"Nothing, except… the notion that you came here to attack us, and that barbarian in the cage of course, in revenge for the death of your own father, our uncle… and have rid yourselves of the _one_ thing that remained as part of your father's legacy. Namely, your _names_ " Edric stated, using his cockiest tone. The pair seemed irritated by this statement, however they did not rise to the provocation.

"I suppose you wouldn't understand, Edric Zollzero, being a man who'll use _any_ means to deceive others for information. You too Medea" Tenchi commented, before folding his arms over his chest "We _chose_ to give up those names so that our actions here may not soil our uncle's legacy any further" he concluded, earning a derisive snort from the caged Patriarch.

"My brother's _legacy_ is nothing more than a pair of failure wizards, who can't even use more than one of their mighty powers at a time, for fear of destroying themselves" he stated bitterly. Daichi looked to the caged man as he said this, waiting for him to finish, before kicking the cage and rattling it a little.

"You call us failures, yet we still caught _you_ " he barked sharply. The Patriarch smirked.

"That was not your success to bear" he replied.

The twins both shrugged. "Perhaps… however, if you insist on calling us failures, how about we prove ourselves then?" Tenchi mused, earning an intrigued look from the Patriarch.

"How do you intend to do that?" he questioned, in a tone that showed he had very little interest in the proposal.

Tenchi smirked. "Let's settle once and for all which side of our family is rightfully the group suited most to rule… by defeating your sons and daughter right here, right now" Tenchi stated, in a deadly-serious tone. Arthur listened to this proposal carefully; it was not a surprise, since fighting this out was the very reason they had come here in the first place, however he was intrigued as to how his father would respond in this situation. The Patriarch smiled at the idea, before shrugging.

"Do what you will, I suppose it would be nice to see a good duel before I am killed" he responded. Tenchi grinned.

"Then we are agreed" he turned back to Arthur and the group, who stood at the ready, Edric and Medea both wielding their playing card decks, and Arthur with his Territory Magic already active.

"We're ready" the eldest sibling stated immediately, upon locking eyes with Tenchi.

The duo both smiled at the preparedness of their foes.

"Well then… how about on the count of three, just like in a real duel?" they asked, once again in unison. Arthur nodded.

"Okay" he agreed.

Then the second count-down began. Moments later, the second major fight of that night began, this time with the highest stakes on the line.

All, however, was still going according to plan. For now.

 **End of Chapter 29**

 **Chapter Hint; Topple the Troupe**

 **Author's comment; I had to change the order of chapters, as I decided to split what I had intended to put in chapter 29 into both chapters 29 and 30, extending my overall plan for this fic by one chapter. As such, it will probably take up to 32 chapters to finish the story. I hope this has not confused anyone :)**


	30. Chapter 30 - Topple the Troupe

**Chapter 30 – Topple the Troupe**

 **Zollzero Mansion Grounds, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Kenji stood about five paces away from the Troupe, four blades ready; two in his hands, and two imbedded in the ground before him. The countdown was not quick, but equally was not slow, it was just… timed.

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

By the end of the last number, all six of the highly trained swordsmen were in motion; Kenji rushed forward, entrenching the wooden blade in his right hand, and trading it out for the immolated sword before him, just in time to block the large, downward slash of Argent's greatsword, before diving sideways to dodge Vance's longsword. Hugo and Caspian both attempted to simultaneously attack from either side as Kenji was pinned by Argent's blade, however Kenji avoided this by pushing back against Argent, then fluidly delivered his own parrying swish to each of the two oncoming blades. With Hugo and Caspian momentarily unbalanced, Kenji took the opportunity to kick backwards, sending the sly dagger-wielding brunette. "Agh…" Andor gasped, as his breath was swiftly forced from his lungs by the hard kick that Kenji delivered.

Argent, regaining his balance from the previous push, attempted a side-swing to Kenji's neck, however the aged sword master effortlessly ducked under the clumsy attack, before delivering a sharp stab with his own blade at the muscular giant. Argent threw himself back, using his weight to dodge the attack, whilst Vance came up to Kenji's side, longsword aimed perfectly to skewer the katana-wielder's heart from under his ribcage. Kenji saw the attack coming, however he knew he couldn't dodge backwards like Argent just had, since Andor was quickly recovering behind him. Instead, with a slight smirk, the old man kicked his foot up, catching the ice-encrusted blade, pulling it up into the charging long-sword users way. Vance managed to avoid the sudden obstacle, however his aim was off now, and Kenji managed to parry the blow with his immolated katana. Hugo watched the small manoeuvre with intrigue, before noting a weak point in the old man's defences. Moving around and aiming to quickly dash in with one attack, the black-haired man tensed.

Kenji, however, was aware of the plan, and with a flick of his other hand, called upon the power of his third, un-immolated, un-frosted, steel blade. "Hidden Gale" he muttered, before a thin wave of air emitted from the katana blade, slicing through the distance between himself and Hugo. The black-haired swordsman sensed the invisible disturbance, and, realising what it was, jumped at the last second to avoid being cut cleanly in half. "Your Wind Spell will not work on me" he crowed as he successfully avoided the attack. Kenji did not reply as he was too busy dodging attacks from behind and to the side by Andor and Caspian respectively.

Successfully avoiding the attacks, whilst unsuccessfully attempting to land his own counter-jabs, Kenji and the Troupe each took a moment to catch their breath. "It seems… you've not forgotten the teamwork I drilled into you… at least" Kenji breathed, a little heavier than he would have liked. _Am I getting too old for this?_ He thought to himself. Hugo shrugged at Kenji's remark.

"And you are just as skilled as always… although perhaps you are feeling the effects of your age more now, yes?" the black-haired rapier wielder mused, taking note of the elder man's state. Kenji smirked.

"Perhaps I am… but even so, that will not give you enough of an advantage to beat me, remember that" he laughed, before picking up the katana he kicked earlier and replacing it in the ground. Hugo allowed the man to take the time for that action; in his own mind, Hugo still believed they would win.

With the weapon replaced, Hugo decided to take his next move. "Now that we've caught our breath, shall we continue?" he asked. Kenji laughed.

"Took you long enough to recover" he stated. Hugo shrugged once more, before leaping the distance between himself and Kenji. The old man brought up his immolated katana to hold off the attack, before twitching his other blade to send out four consecutive slashes of wind to force the other charging members of the Troupe back, before pushing against Hugo. As the black-haired sabre user retreated to re-join his other team members, the Troupe changed up their strategy, before attacking again.

It still wouldn't work, though, since Kenji was, to absolutely every degree, a true _Master_ of the sword. At least, it wouldn't work for a little while yet.

/

Sting sat with Natsu unconscious beside him, their bodies somewhat obscured from view by the slight inclination of the plateau. The White Dragon Slayer kept vigilant watch over the pinkette, eyes straying only every so often as he watched the amazing display of swordsmanship and skill in the duel between all five members of the Blade Troupe, and Kenji, their former master.

The blond silently noted how amazing it was the Kenji could keep up with the other warriors, and even more amazing was the determination both sides showed. "Ha, I bet Natsu would love to see this" Sting mumbled to himself, "It's pretty fucking cool" he added, still with no one listening.

With a momentary lull in the fight, Sting allowed himself to stare more intently at Natsu. The pink-haired Fire Dragon Slayer looked incredibly peaceful, which was surprising considering all the crazy stuff that was happening only a few steps away. The pinkette murmured in his sleep, making Sting chuckle. "Always sleeping deeply…" he muttered, before a voice interrupted his observation.

"How is he?" Rogue asked, Gray standing to his side. Whilst the Shadow Dragon Slayer placed his gaze on the pair, Gray kept watch over the duel. Before it began, Thomas had ordered everyone to watch and not interfere with battle, instead only taking action to protect Natsu whilst he slept, in order to conserve their magic power. The Archive Mage then ran off to a more secluded area of trees nearby in order to try and communicate with Arthur and the others inside. Sting matched Rogue's gaze; he could tell that his friend was asking this as one loving Dragon Slayer to another.

Sting smiled. "He's fine, I've seen him sleep like this plenty of times… there isn't anything wrong with him now" the White Dragon confirmed. Rogue gave a flicker of a smile, before returning his attention to Kenji, where the clash of steel was ringing louder and louder.

"You're slowing down _now_ , old man" Hugo grinned, as he, Caspian, and Argent tried yet another three-pronged attack, whilst Vance and Andor moved around to perform a two-person back-attack.

"If I can have the time to slow down _and_ still block your attacks, then why should I waste the additional effort and energy to continue fighting as before?" Kenji countered, a note of arrogance touching his voice that no one had heard before.

Sting looked to Rogue as the battle ensued. "Their teamwork isn't even half as good as ours" he mused. Rogue nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it seems like if they actually tried to work together properly, with well-co-ordinated, well planned strikes, as opposed to each person attacking on their own, they _may_ have a small chance to win" the Shadow Dragon concurred. Gray looked to the pair as he heard this.

"You two really think you're the best at team work, don't ya?" he commented, in a tone somewhere between scolding Rogue, and sarcastically laughing. Sting shrugged.

"Well, we're not called the ' _Twin Dragon's_ ' for nothing" he responded, earning a nod of agreement from Rogue. Gray sighed, before a thought popped into his head and he ended up chuckling. Sting and Rogue gave confused expressions watching the Ice Mage do this.

Gray took a moment to enjoy these looks of bemusement, before explaining what he had just thought. "You remember when we were back around at Sabertooth, and we met these guys for the first time?" the Ice Mage prompted the pair, to which they both nodded. "Well, you remember what we were arguing about in that old building?" he asked. Sting narrowed his eyes in thought, whilst Rogue pouted. Neither managed to recall the event.

"All I remember was standing-off against those five swordsmen" Rogue stated after a moment, giving a small nod over to where Kenji and the others were still duelling. Gray smirked.

"Me and Natsu were poking fun at you 'cause you always take each other's side. I was just laughing now because I realised that despite everything, including our… _relationships_ …" Gray was mindful with the word whilst Juvia was nearby, "You two still haven't really changed that much" Gray finished, just as a particularly loud _thud_ sounded out. This was followed by a curse from Hugo and Andor, who appeared to have been kicked away by Kenji.

The older swordsman smiled at seeing his pupils on their rears, before scowling as Argent and Caspian made well-timed side-swipes with their respective blades in an attempt to either behead Kenji, in Argent's case, or disembowel him, in Caspian's case, or both, if they were both lucky enough to hit. Kenji narrowly avoided both of these fates, by bringing up his katana to block Caspian's scimitar, whilst also holding his other katana up over his shoulder in order to redirect Argent's greatsword up and narrowly over the top of his head. He probably lost a few grey hairs for this manoeuvre, however it saved him from losing his head instead.

Sting cheered quietly at seeing the perfect art of swordsmanship Kenji displayed. "Whoah, I've gotta get him to teach me how he can dodge so well like that" the White Dragon commented, just as another mumbling noise spewed out of Natsu's mouth. Looking over, Sting realised instantly that the pinkette was now awake.

"What the… hell happened?" Natsu asked groggily, looking over to his boyfriend, dark eyes trained only on the blond, and not the two dark-haired males beside him.

Sting smiled. "So ya finally wake up, sleepy dragon" he beamed, before running a hand over Natsu's cheek. The pinkette calmed a little at the contact, before sitting up.

"I… wait, why is Kenji fighting them alone? And why do I ache all over like I've been fighting?" Natsu continued to ask questions. Sting rolled his eyes.

"Basically, it turns out you got an extra cut by that scimitar-wielding creep, and then they put you to sleep and made you fight us in order to try and scare us. They were gonna use you as a hostage, but then I saved you… by punching you with my White Dragon Claw to paralyse and hold you down" Sting explained hurriedly, giving Natsu all the key details; any more than that would be a waste of time and breath, since Sting knew he'd just forget them anyways.

Natsu processed this information quickly, his eyes scanning over the scene before him with an almost predatory quality, before resting back on Sting. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, concern clear in his tone.

Sting shook his head, taking note of the instantly relaxing affect that this seemed to have on the pinkette. "No, you managed to land one hit on me, but that was it… and it wasn't even that hard" Sting chuckled. Natsu smiled.

"So, I didn't hurt you with _my_ punches, but you still hurt me with yours?" he commented, in a semi-accusing voice. Sting shrugged.

"I hit my lightest… but if that hurts you, I can't help it if you're weak" the White Dragon replied in a half-joking tone. Natsu scowled.

"I might just have to remind you how tough I am with another fight, just like back at the Grand Magic Games a year ago" Natsu boasted, before a sudden gasp from the girls nearby caught his, and their small groups, attention. Kenji was standing with four of the five Blade Troupe members around him, weapons trained to pierce him, whilst he was left wide open defending against a heavy, full-weighted overhead attack from Argent's greatsword.

"Damn… looks like I might be… getting a bit old for this" Kenji breathed heavily. The sweat dripped from all six fighters, proving how much effort they were having to put into this duel, however with his advanced age Kenji was definitely at a disadvantage now.

"Oh… what should we do? Help him?" Sting asked suddenly, as the group of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth wizards all crowded around, ready to leap to the old man's assistance. Haruki, however, thrust his hand out to stop them.

"Wait a minute…" he stated. The group were surprised by the oddly calm voice of the master swordsman's grandson, however they obeyed; after seeing Kenji fight properly, they all realised he could still have some trick up his sleeve.

/

Kenji stood confident, even in the face of such a situation as this, with four blades pointed and in close striking range. "You're done" Hugo smirked, before looking to his group. Kenji shook his head.

"Not yet!" he replied, before giving a sudden burst of resistance against the greatsword that he was trapped under. As he did so, he dropped the blades he was wielding at that moment, leaping back to avoid the downward fall of the heavy weapon. Argent growled at the act, however the hulking giant was too slow to react to Kenji's movements, as was the rest of the Troupe. Unfortunately, the older man could not grab his other two blades in time, and only managed to recover the wooden katana he had left implanted in the ground at the beginning of the duel.

The group of onlookers all cheered and nodded happily at Kenji's retreat, all except for Haruki. "Oh no…" the teen noted, earning confused looks from all of the guild wizards.

"What's wrong?" Erza asked the blond-dyed Bullet Mage.

Haruki frowned. "He didn't escape that hit…" he analysed.

Erza returned her gaze, more intently, to the older swordsman, as did many of the others. "I can… smell blood" Natsu commented, to which Rogue, and Sting nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, me too" Sting agreed verbally.

Haruki took a step towards his grandfather as the old man stood a little distance now away from his opponents. "Don't move!" Kenji barked, not looking away from his opponents for a moment. Haruki narrowed his eyes, however he obeyed his elder.

"Hmph… stubborn old man" the teen commented under his breath. Hugo watched the display with vague amusement, before raising his eyebrow.

"What are you going to do now, my _former_ Master?" he asked in a mildly sarcastic tone of voice. "Hmm… you've lost two of your blades, and right now, your third is outside of your range. All that remains is that katana _there_ in your hand. And even that isn't made of any metal that could do damage to _us_ " Hugo continued.

Kanji smirked. "You may have separated me from the rest of my other weapons, however with the weapons I still have with me now, I can defeat you all" Kenji replied, before holding up his wooden blade. Hugo watched the action for a moment, before looking about his group.

Then they all laughed. "You have nothing left old man… we _are_ going to kill you. Whether you wield that toy sword or not means nothing to us" Hugo chuckled.

Kenji shook his head. "It looks as though you have all forgotten _why_ it was you asked me to train you… and also what the greatest trait of a warrior was… _always keep your greatest weapon hidden until it is needed!_ " Kenji barked, before placing a hand to his chest. "And now… it's time for me to draw my own greatest weapon. Kitsune Blade… come forth, now" he finished, light gathering at his fingertips, that grew into a pool of glow over the muscular chest beneath his clothes.

The group watched on as from that light was drawn a fifth katana, different to the others that he had used. Unlike the other, plainer-looking weapons, this one was made of a faint purplish metal, and was adorned with a deep engraving running along the length of the blade. It also glowed slightly with a purplish hue of energy. Hugo and the others all took an instinctive step back from the new weapon, as did Sting, Rogue and Natsu. "That's… some _very_ strong magic… it smells like… a demon?" Sting muttered in near awe as his eyes fixated on the so-called Kitsune Blade. Haruki smiled at the reactions of the Dragon Slayers.

"Yes, well… I suppose you could call it that" the teen spoke up, looking towards his grandfather with eyes dancing and full of pride. Erza looked towards the Bullet Mage with a frown.

"He has a demonic weapon?" she questioned him. Haruki shook his head.

"Not quite, although close. Demons, or at least the ones you're all probably familiar with, are largely composed of magic, or of demonic-particles. That sword over there is also a pure embodiment of magic, that is to say the embodiment of my grand-pops' soul…" Haruki explained, earning yet more confused looks from the guild mages surrounding him.

"So… it's his soul?" Lucy asked. Haruki nodded.

"Yup, basically that blade represents the very life essence of my grandfather… it's a technique passed down in my family. I can use it to create my own 'soul gun', but I never have needed to. To be honest I didn't think I'd ever see even gramps there use it, especially with the risks the technique involves" he commented.

The others all looked with greater intrigue as Kenji now stood off against the five sword masters with renewed vigour. Unfortunately, the wound he received from Argent's greatsword also meant he was fighting at reduced strength. Despite his initial reaction, Hugo smiled at the display. "So, you decided to call up your oh-so-mighty Kitsune Blade… that's… almost laughable" he mused, raising his sabre in a challenging gesture. "Whilst I admit that blade holds mighty power, it cannot alone save you from _us_. Perhaps had you used it nearer the beginning of the duel it _may_ have been a threat, however now, with that injury, you will never be able to take us on. It's over" the black-haired male laughed scornfully.

Kenji smiled and shook his head. "Not yet, I still have _one_ more trick up my sleeve… and here it is" with that the older man turned his wooden blade downwards, before thrusting the katana deep into the earth. "I invoke Spring's Renewal!" he called.

At the blades contact with the ground, a deep rumble sounded out. This was quickly followed by a blinding explosion of light from the very earth itself, that passed almost as quickly as it was summoned, leaving no visible trace of change upon the area save for the white spots dancing in everybody's vision.

Kenji, however, stood up strong; his face clear of any weakness, and his body clear of any wound. Hugo gave an annoyed grunt at the sight of his revived ex-master.

"Oh well that's just not fair" he cursed dryly.

/

As Kenji stood strong, the other mages grew restless. "How did he…" Lucy began, before trailing off as she realised how obvious her question sounded. Haruki grinned.

"His last trump card. You see, each of those katana holds a special power. The Autumn Blade can control Wind Magic, the Summer Blade can call forth flames, the Winter Blade can freeze anything on contact, and well… that last blade, the Spring Blade, can call forth the natural power of the earth to heal its wielder." Haruki explained, before making a slightly more pained face. "Unfortunately, that power can only be used once, and takes about a day to recharge, so… it looks like from here on out, we're going to be switching to Plan B" he added. Erza and the others all looked confused for a moment, before they recalled the pre-attack plan that Arthur and Thomas had lain out back at the guildhall a number of days prior. Haruki gave them all a minute to catch up, before he drew his weapons. "Follow my lead" he called out.

Kenji and the Blade Troupe both seemed surprised as the Fairy Tailer's, Sabertooth Dragon Slayers, and Zollzero marksman, all fell into line with Kenji. "What's this, deciding to intervene now, are we?" Hugo mused sourly.

Kenji looked to Haruki. "Haruki, you would interrupt our duel?" he asked. The Bullet Mage grinned.

"Sorry pops, but you already knew the plan" he replied, before a voice cut in.

" _Yes, now that Kenji has weakened them, everybody is to proceed and summarily defeat their assigned target_ " Thomas's voice resounded out magically from a screen above the battle field. Hugo looked up to the screen, which displayed nothing more than the words SOUND, and scowled angrily.

"You Zollzero! After I'm done here, I'm coming for _you_ personally Thomas. I'm going to drag you back to the Young Master's, and I hope they'll kill you slowly, where I can watch you die" the Troupe Leader cursed. Thomas' made no sound for a few moments, and since nothing was on the screen save the single word, it was very difficult to gauge the boy's response.

"Oh… sorry, were you saying something?" Thomas asked after a moment, voice distracted, "Only I'm a little busy preparing for your ultimate defeat, so if you don't mind" the transmission cut out instantly after that. Hugo's burning glare remained on the point in their air where the Archive screen had hovered for a few more seconds, before redirecting his gaze towards the group.

"Hmph… I will have to make do with you lot for the time being" he commented, voice barely on the edge of calmness.

Kenji smirked. "Were not gonna make it _that_ easy for you" he replied. Hugo shrugged, before looking to his own group.

"You all have picked your targets?" he questioned Kenji and Haruki. The pair both nodded.

"Well assumed, yes we have our orders on who each of us should take on" Haruki stated. Hugo shook his head.

"Well then… perhaps we should resume our duel, this time… we can _each_ enjoy a good one-on-one or one-on-two fight, hmmm?" Hugo replied, raising his blade and gesturing for his team to split up, taking positions a little farther away from each other. "Go on, we will wait for you to decide, before we cut you each down in our own way" Hugo smiled.

Haruki looked to the guild mages. "You all remember the plan?" he asked. They nodded, and began to take move toward their assigned targets.

Once each of them was in position, the third and final part of the plan proceeded; with five new fights braking out on the plateau.

/

 **First Match-up; Erza Scarlet vs. Argent**

Erza went over to the area where she could face Argent, the greatsword wielder. The grey-haired giant barely said a word as she summoned up a blade into each of her hands. "You're Argent, correct?" the red-head asked with a voice as cutting and level as the weapons she wielded. Argent nodded.

"Yes. You're Titania, the supposedly 'most powerful woman' in Fairy Tail" the man replied, his statement genuine. Erza shrugged.

"I may be _one_ of the most powerful women in Fairy Tail, however I cannot lay claim to such a title, no matter how many people say it" she responded. Argent smiled.

"Well, no matter. Even if you are semi-skilled in swordplay, I will still crush you. Here. Now" he commented, before holding his greatsword level with Erza. "Are you prepared?" he then asked, in a more formal challenge. Erza nodded.

"Of course, now come and get me" she called him out. Argent chuckled darkly.

"You may regret those words… Titania" he growled, before charging forward, mighty blade already in a striking arc as he neared Erza's position. The Requip Mage laughed, before jumping to one side, light engulfing her body as she did so. "Requip… Flight Armor" she called out, as the light was replaced with the familiar cheetah-inspired armour.

Argent didn't even bat an eye at the change, he simply continued his assault, swinging his blade as Erza nimbly dodged or avoided each attack, only going in to attack him when she saw an opening. Unfortunately, Argent was as quick as he was strong, and the red-head never managed to land a successful blow of her own.

"You are… very skilled…" Erza commented, after a few minutes of battling. Argent smirked, but remained untalkative. "I've faced many opponents, but none with both your strength and your speed" she added, seeing if this would prompt the other to respond. He did not.

"Alright then, if speed won't work… let's try offense" she stated, as light once again transformed her armour. "Requip" she called out, as her outfit once more changed, this time into a much less armoured set of red, flame-patterned trousers. The blades in her hands changed too, from a pair of matching blades, to a single greatsword; her Purgatory Sword. Argent actually showed some interest after his eyes locked onto Erza's new sword.

"So, you want to fight with me, using the same type of sword? Blade for blade?" he laughed. "You'll die" he added after a moment. Erza confidently hefted her sword before her, smirking.

"We'll see" she replied, before rushing forward herself this time, swinging her own great blade in a bone-shattering arc that forced Argent instantly into a defensive stance, his sword raised vertically to block her horizontal swing. Erza didn't stop there, though; with continued force she drove the burly male back a step, using the moment of unbalance to knock him further. Argent growled at the action.

"It's been a while since I have faced a person with as much skill in greatswords as you have… I guess I'll have to use my advantage" he smiled viciously, before holding up his blade, runes along the hilt shimmering for a moment. As the runes faded, nothing appeared to have changed, yet Erza still felt uneasy. Thomas' warning from the guild rang in her head. _I have to defeat him quickly… before he gets too strong_ she noted to herself, just as Argent tensed his muscles once more, signalling his intent to attack.

From seeing his previous attacks against Kenji, Erza already knew what to expect from her opponent, and the first strike was predictable to her; an overhead, downward slash. She evaded this easily, lunging in to deliver her own counter-attack, however something unexpected happened. Argent shifted his weight, and turned his sword to deliver a second follow up attack. Unprepared for this, Erza had to quickly roll sideways, bringing her own blade up to stop the blow from hitting her. _He's fighting differently from before… is this because he's fighting one-on-one?_ She thought for a moment, before she was distracted by another vicious attack from the silver-haired swordsman.

"Angh…" Argent snarled, as he hefted his blade up with ease, doing a criss-cross of slashes, which Erza, more prepared now, managed to evade and parry with a little less difficulty than before. "Kill…" Argent breathed in between blows. Erza frowned. _Could this be the power of the sword then? Has he given up on thinking for more power? Perhaps I should try with two swords instead of one…_ ideas filled her head, however she was left with little time to process them as she once more had to deflect, avoid, and parry yet more attacks from Argent. Despite his earlier fight, he did not seem close to tiring, Erza noted.

With a moment to think as Argent seemed to be waiting for her to make the next move, Erza decided she would put her faith in the information and strategies proposed by Thomas and Arthur back at the guild. "Requip!" she called out once more. _I cannot use any more magic, otherwise I won't have enough after this to help Arthur and the other's_ she thought as she sought out the final armour she hoped would be enough to defeat this animalistic foe.

Clad in black scale armour, but with only a single blade in her hand, Erza stood proud before her foe. "With my Black Wing Armour, I _will_ defeat you" she called out, earning a scornful look from Argent, but no words. The silver-haired male did not make any noise at all, save a low growling as he leapt the distance between them, heavy sword held as though it was nothing more than a butter knife. He made three slashes at Erza, however with her new armour, she easily evaded them all with jumps and small flights.

Angrily glaring, Argent did not stop his attack, despite it's obvious flaws, although he did change from a constant sequence of swings and slashes, to a more powerful selection of downward, upward and horizontal slashes that took full advantage of his large body's weight to cause maximum damage; with each missed swing, the ground got more and more torn up. Erza smirked as she continued to dodge these strikes, her Black Wing Armour providing her with the perfect balance of evasiveness and defence. After a few more minutes of the attack, Argent eventually stopped, breathing heavily. He continued to eye Erza predatorily in the meanwhile.

The red-head maintained eye-contact with her foe. "Strength alone is not what a warrior should strive for. Mastery of the weapon is first and foremost, and maintaining a cool, tactical mind in combat a close second" she stated, before giving a little smirk "You, however, choose to sacrifice these things in order to increase your strength and attack potential. This is why you will lose" she added a little more confidently. Argent's eyes widened hearing this, the still-human part of him broiling at being lectured.

"I will not… lose…" he snarled, before tensing his body once more. "This next attack… will finish… _you_!" he added, before leaping a lot faster and stronger than he had previously. Erza smirked as her plan came to fruition.

With a carefully executed sidestep manoeuvre, avoiding the large blade that was aimed perfectly at where she stood only moments ago, Erza delivered a single blow to Argent's exposed stomach, leaving a large, but not overly deep, gash across the man's torso. "Argh!" the silver-haired male bellowed, as he fell to one knee in agony, sword quickly turning from a death-bringing tool, to a crutch to help him stand despite the wound. "You…" he began, before another stab of pain shot through him from the wound.

Erza smirked. "Strength isn't everything in battle, a warrior must also be aware of their surroundings, and of the weaknesses in their opponents" she stated "Although that sword is deadly, it is also very heavy. You cannot wield it without opening up that wound further" she added in a more analytical tone. Argent growled but did not say anything further. "Will you settle down and not cause any more issues for us?" she asked the man, pointing the tip of her own blade so that it was barely a few centimetres from Argent's face. The silver-haired male glared at her for a moment, before hanging his head.

"It seems I cannot do anything more…" he admitted. Erza smiled, nodding in acknowledgement of the Troupe-members acceptance of defeat.

"Good, now let go of your blade and allow me to tie you up with these ropes; then I will tend to that wound. The others have not yet finished their own fights it seems" Erza stated, briefly glancing around the other areas, where other battles were being fought.

/

 **Second Match-up; Gray Fullbuster and Rogue Cheney vs. Vance**

Rogue and Gray stalked over to face their assigned foe; Vance, the brunette longsword-user. "Hmm… so the two of you are to be my opponents then?" Vance asked as he observed the various groups that formed after the stand-off. Rogue nodded, whilst Gray smirked.

"Yeah, we're gonna beat you and your stupid 'cursed sword' down into the ground" the Ice Mage commented cockily. Vance smirked at the challenge.

"You are?" he responded. "But surely it would be more efficient for you to go and help your friend over there, Argent is our strongest after all" he added with a note of amusement to his voice. Gray shot the brunette a self-assured smile.

"Erza can handle herself. We're here to take _you_ on, so stop looking at the other groups and just keep your eyes on us" the dark-haired Ice Mage commented with clear confidence in his guildmate's skill. Vance shook his head dismissively at this display.

"How annoying… however, no matter. I guess I will have to take the more efficient move then, and take you out quickly, so I can support _my_ allies" he responded, with a vague scowl, before making two slashing motions in the air about his person. "Although I suppose I should be thankful that you two are my opponents" he added, earning slightly confused looks from Gray and Rogue.

"What do you mean by that?" the Shadow Dragon Slayer asked in a blunt voice.

Vance smiled. "Well, of the two potential _couples_ that I could have had as opponents, you are the much more preferable choice. Unlike the White and Fire Dragon Slayer's over there, you are much quieter, and a lot less annoying. You're also hardly as much of a fight as them too, I suspect" he replied. Gray and Rogue gave angry expressions upon hearing this.

"How do you know about us?" they both growled in perfect sync. Vance laughed.

"Although it looks like Caspian was more successful than I, did you really think we were only observing _one_ of your group?" he responded in a deep chuckle. Despite his laughter, Vance's eyes still held an air of predatory nature to them, as if he was watching the two mages reaction's intently.

Gray was first to speak after receiving this information. "If you have been watching us, the you already know how strong we are" he said, in a small attempt to regain the confidence he held only moments ago. Vance shrugged.

"I say what I see, and what I saw was you and Rogue spending a _lot_ of time together, doing very little in the ways of training" he mused. Rogue gave a little blush.

"We don't spend _that_ much time together" he stated. Vance raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you were at Sabertooth for a while I suppose, but still, at the times you _were_ together, you spent almost all of your time with one another. I suppose that would be romantic or something, however it just seems to me to be a massive waste of time" he stated. Gray tensed hearing this.

"Don't call our relationship a waste of time!" he barked, "I love spending time with Rogue, I will not allow you to call it useless…" he added. Vance shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. The fact remains that I _know_ I can defeat you. It's logical to assume that Thomas has already warned you of our abilities, so you will already know that with my blade I can cause immense pain to my opponents. Thanks to your relationship, by striking one of you, the suffering of your partner will cause you to become distracted and then… I will end the pair of you right then and there" Vance smiled wickedly as he elaborated on this, making a few choice predictions that he knew would shake the duo. Gray smiled upon hearing that.

"That's not gonna happen" he stated, before an icy mist rose up from his body, signalling his preparedness to attack, "Because _we_ are gonna knock you down _before_ you can even touch one of us with that stupid sword" he added, looking to Rogue. The Shadow Dragon knew instantly what Gray was going to do, and immediately he used his magic to dissolve into shadows, manoeuvring into a position behind Vance. The brunette watched the pair for a moment, gauging what they were going to do.

A moment went by, no more than two heartbeats, if that. Then they attacked.

"Ice Make; Hammer" Gray called out, a large hammer of ice crashing down onto Vance's position. The brunette dodged the attack, however as he jumped to the side, Rogue leapt out from the shadows and lashed out with a shadowy draconic talon. Vance was already prepared for the attack, however, and the second the black-haired Dragon Slayer reappeared, the longsword was already arcing towards him.

Seeing the blade, Rogue gave up on his attack, and instantly re-faded into darkness, repositioning whilst Gray summoned up two icy swords into his hands, rushing forward and slashing at the swordsman. Vance chuckled at the attempt. "You aren't even anywhere near close to my skill level with those little blades of yours" he laughed, before making a slashing gesture that sent Gray sprawling away, the icy swords being cut up into tiny pieces.

As Vance pursued Gray, the Ice mage rolled away from his follow up slash, and countered with a rain (or rather a hail) of ice-arrows. Rogue watched for a moment, as Gray put distance between himself and the swordsman, and decided to try another strategy of his own devising. Un-shadowing himself once again, he prepared his next spell. "Shadow Dragon Roar" he bellowed, sending a large burst of shadows and darkness billowing down towards the swordsman. Vance barely even took note of the attack, yet he still dodged it with ease, leaping to the left, before sidestepping right and lunging towards Gray in stabbing attack. Gray countered by conjuring up a wall of ice to act as an obstacle, which Vance had to cut through. In his moment of imbalance, striking down the wall, Rogue used the shadows one more time to cover the distance between himself and the swordsman, aiming to deliver what he hoped would be the last attack of this short duel. "Shadow Dragon Sla-" he called out as he approached, only to be cut off as he came eye-to-eye with the brunette.

"Got you" he stated, his blade slashing Rogue's leg as the Dragon Slayer desperately attempted to return to the shadows.

With a large thud, the Shadow Dragon fell to the floor as he was struck, an annoyed grunt sounding out. "Hmph…" Rogue breathed as the initial pain struck him.

Vance smiled. "And so, the first part of my prediction comes to pass. Now to ensure that you suffer" he stated, with an almost childish-glee to his voice that completely contradicted the cold demeanour he had displayed earlier. Holding his blade level to Rogue, Vance concentrated his magic power, the length of the longsword glowing with an eerie reddish aura. A few moments later, the curse took effect, and the heavy breathing and grit-teethed groans turned into gasps of pain all emanating from the Shadow Dragon Slayer's mouth. Gray watched in horror as Rogue suffered.

"You damned… freakin'…" he couldn't finish his sentence. Before he even realised it himself, the Ice Mage was barraging the swordsman with all manner of icy projectiles. Swords, lances, cannons and cannonballs, arrows, hammers… the seemingly never-ending stream of Ice Make creations never even came close to striking the man, however it did put some distance between him and the Shadow Dragon Slayer, enough that Gray could come to kneel by his lover's side. "Rogue… are you… ok?" Gray asked in a worried, unsure voice, as he wrapped an arm around Rogue and tried to get him to sit up. The Shadow Dragon groaned in protest.

"Everywhere… hurts" he complained. Gray frowned.

"I know, look… let me see where he cut you" he stated, before brushing aside Rogue's clothes. The wound was not deep, barely even a scratch, yet it seemed to very nearly incapacitate the Dragon Slayer.

"It's alright, it's just a… small cut… I won't…" Rogue could finish his words as another burning spasm of pain shot through his body, making him clench his teeth tight against its violent attack. Gray looked over to the source of the curse, Vance, who was holding up his blade, eerie crimson glow becoming brighter as he continued to point the blade's tip towards Rogue.

"I told you this would happen. I said that I would strike one of you, and that the other would become distracted, as you have. Now all that remains is for me to strike you both down. Are you prepared?" Vance's normally blank face contorted into a wicked, knowing smile. Gray scowled angrily at him.

"Like hell I'm ready, I'm not ever gonna let you strike me down. Or Rogue!" he barked in challenge. Vance shrugged.

"I've wasted enough time on you, whether you're prepared or not, I will finish you off… _now_!" he stated, before beginning to rush forwards, sword angled to his side so that he could slice his opponents the moment he got within reach. Gray read his opponents stance, and reacted hurriedly. With his hands together, and Rogue by his side, the dark-haired Ice Mage conjured up as much magic as he could, as quickly as he could, concentrating it all into as many structures as he could manage. Right before Vance's eyes cannons, blades, walls and other defences, spikes and many, many spears all appeared, in numbers that put the earlier barrage to shame. With a slight smirk at his own handiwork, Gray commanded the weapons to fire.

Vance stopped for a brief second to realign his path before resuming his charge, tackling the oncoming wave of attacks with skill and grace. Dodging and weaving, slicing and stabbing, the brunette swordsman slowly, but surely, made his way towards Gray. It only took a few moments; however, those moments would prove crucial to the overall result of this battle, and the Ice Mage knew this.

As soon as Vance cleared the last obstacle, carefully dodging a final few spears in the process, the brunette lunged at Gray, once more with the intent to slice him in two with his longsword. "It's over!" Vance crowed, as his blade shattered through the hastily made ice sword that Gray raised up in defence. The Ice Mage smirked.

"Not yet" he chuckled. Vance shook his head.

"Yes… it… is!" the brunette replied, adding a note of finality to his voice as he brought his blade down on Gray.

At that moment, Rogue, who had been concentrating with all his willpower, sat up, a powerful-looking aura of darkness completely enveloping his person that quickly slid down and covered his fist. "Shadow Dragon Slash!" he commanded, the shadows batting the oncoming longsword away, before striking Vance in the legs and sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Ack… how…?" he gasped as his own pain shot up from where Rogue struck him. Gray smiled.

"You'd be surprised how stubborn Dragon Slayers are when their boyfriends are about" Gray chuckled, before raising his newly made Ice Sword so that it was pointing towards the brunette. "Now, are ya gonna surrender and let us tie you up?" he asked.

Vance scoffed. "I would never demean myself by begging for mercy" he replied, "I think I would rather die" he added, his eyes meeting Gray's, something within them challenging the Ice Mage to carry out his unspoken threat.

Gray shrugged. "Well, we tried" he stated, before dropping the sword and waving his arm, calling upon his Devil Slayer spells. Vance didn't have a moment to protest before he was frozen solid, the same stupidly daring expression still on his iced-over face.

With the threat neutralised, Gray turned to Rogue. "Come on, let me patch you up" he said. Rogue shook his head.

"It's fine. The second you froze him the curse stopped, so there's nothing to worry about. You said it wasn't deep yourself" Rogue commented, moving to sit up. Gray frowned.

"Don't be stupid, that was a freakin' sword, of course it's bad, it's just not _as_ bad as it could have been" he stated, moving to pin the Shadow Dragon Slayer down so that he could tend to him more easily. Rogue met Gray's intense stare, and noted the caring shine in the Ice Mage's eyes. With a slight shrug he lay down and behaved himself.

After all, it seemed like aside from Erza, who was busy conversing with a tightly-bound Argent, the others were still fully invested in their individual bouts. _Guess I can enjoy a few minutes with Gray, somewhat alone…_ he thought to himself.

/

 **Third Match-up; Juvia Lockser and Lucy Heartfilia vs. Andor**

With the other's taking their places, Lucy and Juvia looked to each other, and then moved in tandem towards their own target; the youngest, and most arrogant, Andor. "Awww… I've got _you two ladies_ as my opponents?" the dagger-wielder stated rhetorically in a complaining tone, as the two female wizards took their places opposite him.

Lucy smiled confidently in the face of their foe. "Yeah, you've got us to deal with" she stated brazenly.

Juvia nodded. "Yes, and we have no intention of losing to you" the Water Mage added on, earning a contempt-filled smile from the teenage swordsman.

"Ah, well isn't that funny. I suppose you should prove to be a little entertaining at least… what with that _interesting_ body of yours" the boy looked at Juvia with a badly-concealed intrigue, that made the blue-haired woman's skin crawl. "Hugo also mentioned you're at least somewhat skilled in magic. Let's test his analysis, shall we?" every word Andor spoke dripped with overconfidence. It rattled Juvia and Lucy to no end.

"We won't let you even come close to touching us with that dagger of yours, knowing what it can do and all" Lucy called out, her hand instinctively reaching for her keys as she sensed that the battle was about to begin. Andor followed the blonde's hand for a moment, before taking note of the keys.

"Oh, you're a Celestial Wizard?" he asked, gaining a little nod from Lucy as confirmation. "Well then you should prove _no challenge at all_ " he stated with venom that made Lucy reel of a moment.

"What do you mean 'no challenge at all'?!" Lucy barked back after recovering from the insult.

Andor laughed and raised his arms upwards. "You expect me to take a mage who can't even fight for themselves seriously?" he replied. Juvia crossed her arms as she heard Andor belittling her guildmate.

"So, we should take an annoying child like you seriously?" she mused. Lucy smirked at this comment and nodded in concurrence.

"Yeah, what evidence is there that you're really a threat to _us_?" she responded. Andor cracked a smile at these words, before his hand rested on the hilt of his dagger at his belt.

"You're seriously asking that question?" he stated rhetorically, before he instantly leapt the distance between their positions. "How about I _show_ you why you should take me seriously!" he then barked, bringing his blade up to cut at Juvia.

Before the Water Mage could react in defence, and before Andor could even manage to finish his preliminary attack, Lucy already had a golden key in her hand. "I won't let you touch anyone with that weapon!" Lucy called out, before sending forth her magic, a spirit, clad in their usual suit, appearing beside her.

"You want me to fight this guy?" Leo (or perhaps Loke?) asked, cracking his knuckles. Lucy smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, beat him fast… but don't let him cut you with that dagger, or else he'll curse you" she warned. Leo smiled.

"I'll knock him out quickly then, so that I don't have to see you two lovely ladies get hurt" he grinned, before rushing forward, golden light enveloping his fists.

Andor turned to face the oncoming Celestial Spirit with a slight smirk. "I've never fought a Celestial Zodiac Spirit before… let's see what you gold-key guys are made of" he laughed, before rushing toward Loke and meeting him blow for blow with his free fist.

"Ha… quick one aren't ya" the Lion Spirit commented, as he dodged a sweep of the deadly blade, before delivering his own quick light-infused jab that sent Andor leaping back to give himself some distance.

Lucy and Juvia watched in awe as the two men fought without either of them landing a successful blow. Eventually, whilst breathing heavily, Loke held his hands up. "Alright, seems like you really are strong… but let's see how you do with this!" he stated, before moving to instead stand with his arms together in a guarding stance. "Lion's Brilliance!" he called out, bright golden light emanating out from his person and engulfing the whole area. Realising his plan, Lucy called out to Juvia, and the pair shielded their eyes from the glow.

As the light subsided however, the scene was not what Lucy hoped it would be; in fact, it was worse. Andor smirked wickedly as he stood with his dagger raised, the blade stabbed perfectly into Leo's chest. "You… managed to get me… when you couldn't… see…?" the Lion Spirit muttered in confusion.

Andor chuckled. "I was trained to fight blind when I was eight, so it wouldn't really matter, however you _didn't_ blind me" the teenager swordsman commented. Leo furrowed his brow, as his body began to fade slightly, his person returning to the Celestial Spirit World to recuperate.

"I… didn't?" he asked.

Andor laughed. "If you want to know why, the blame lies with your summoner, not you. Thank you for so loudly shouting out your warning, little miss" Andor looked directly at Lucy as he said this. Lucy gave a look for slight horror, as she realised the error she made.

"Oh… but…" she couldn't think of anything to say in her defence. Leo looked to his owner as he faded.

"Don't worry Lucy, it was just a little slip up. I'm sorry I didn't manage to dodge his attack; however, you've still got plenty more of us to use to beat this guy, right?" the Lion Spirit smiled before he vanished back to the Spirit World.

Andor watched the Lion disappear, before staring back at the two female mages. "Now… where were we?" he asked cockily, before beginning to rush towards the pair again. "Ah, yes… I was going to take out the only threat here" he added, as he raised his blade once more, this time aiming it directly for Juvia.

The Water Mage frowned, before raising her hand and releasing a jet of water in an attempt to hit the advancing swordsman. Andor dodged this without much effort, before leaping up in order to avoid any follow up attacks, his blade plunging into Juvia's shoulder as he brought it down forcefully. "Now I've… got you…" he trailed off as he watched the blade sink into the pale skin without any obvious effect.

"No, you don't" Juvia replied confidently, "My body is made entirely of water, you cannot harm me with your weapon" she explained. Andor scowled, before leaping away in order to avoid being sucked into the watery woman's form.

"It seems like Hugo wasn't lying about you being annoying then" he commented annoyedly, "But the curse in my blade should still affect you, since I did hit your body at least" he added after a moment. Juvia shook her head.

"I've already been stabbed by that man, and as you can see, I'm unaffected… that was why I was chosen to be your opponent" she replied, earning a scornful look from the brunette teen.

"Yeah, that and the fact Gray asked you to" Lucy piled on. Juvia looked to the blonde wizard, standing only a few paces away.

"Don't you ever mention my beloved's name, rival!" she snapped. Lucy frowned.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am _not_ interested in Gray!" she responded in a defensive tone.

Andor glared furiously at the pair. "Don't forget it's _me_ your supposed to be facing!" he barked angrily; if there was _one_ thing the teen hated more than anything else it was being ignored.

Lucy smiled. "Alright then, but how are you going to beat us if you can't get your curse to work?" the blonde asked cockily.

Andor smiled. "Are you so sure it didn't work, only your friend there doesn't seem quiet as upright as she was before I attacked her" he replied. At Andor's comment, Lucy looked over to see Juvia on one knee, a pained looked to her face as one hand held her head.

"Juvia, are you okay?" the Celestial Spirit Mage asked. Juvia glanced to her guildmate for a second, before returning her gaze to the brunette swordsman.

"I'm… fine. It's just a headache…" she stated as she unsteadily rose to her feet. "I won't let myself be beaten so easily, not with Gray fighting so hard" she added with a little more confidence in her voice.

"Tch…" Andor scowled. Lucy nodded in understanding.

"Alright, let's beat this guy quickly, then we can see about that headache" she motioned to reach for her keys. Andor registered the action and was running towards them long before she could reach for her keys.

"I can't afford to waste any more time here" he growled, "So just die already!" with that curse he leapt towards the pair, dagger trained and ready to strike at Lucy. Suddenly, however, the brunette stopped moving; not because he couldn't, but rather because something very heavy had materialised around him.

"Water Lock!" Juvia called out, one hand raised towards the attacking male, whilst the other grasped at her temple.

Lucy smiled at her ally. "Thanks, Juvia!" she stated, before pulling out one of her keys and using it to call forth another spirit. In a flash of golden light Sagittarius, the horseman-archer stood, arrow rapidly being trained onto the captured dagger-wielder. "What do you want me to do, my lady?" he asked in his usual upbeat manner.

Lucy smiled. "If he tries to leave that bubble, shoot him down… but don't kill him" she instructed. Andor looked at the pair through the watery haze, his glare burning through the trap with enough force that it might actually turn the liquid to steam.

"You…" he mumbled, as he tried to use his training and calm himself so that he wouldn't drown too quickly. As he tried to meditate, an idea occurred to him, and with a flourish, Andor brought up his dagger, channelling as much of his power into it as he could. The effect was almost instantaneous. With a loud cry, Juvia fell to her knees, clutching at her temples.

Andor smiled at his work, however the Water Lock did not fall. Not yet. Lucy rushed over to her friend's side as Juvia battled through the strange side-effect of Andor's curse to maintain her prison. "Juvia?" Lucy tried to see how she could help the Water Mage, however there was nothing that she could think of.

"I can't hold it much… longer… you need to…" Juvia didn't finish her sentence as she collapsed, the Water Lock realising with her fall.

Drenched, but still conscious, Andor had enough time to give a short laugh, before the rain of arrows fell down upon him. Without the water, he was easily nimble enough to dodge the attacks of the horseman spirit, as he slowly made his way over to the man. "Once I've… dealt with you… I'm gonna go take away that damned water-woman's sight… then when she wakes up blind, maybe I'll take away her hearing…" Andor ran through his plans for Juvia as Sagittarius continued his barrage of arrows.

Watching with horror, Lucy tried to think of all the things she could do to stop this deadly foe. Just as he came upon the archer, however, a new idea struck Lucy, and with as much speed as she could muster, she brought out a third golden key. Andor was too distracted attacking the horseman to notice the small actions of the blonde, however he would soon regret his oversight, as the ground beneath him gave way, and a pink-haired girl in a maid-outfit popped out.

"What should I do now, Princess?" Virgo asked. Lucy smiled as she gave her final command.

"Tie him up, as tight as you can" she stated. Virgo nodded, before throwing out her arms and, using the chains on her wrists, managed to capture once more the brunette. "Mission accomplished, Princess" the Celestial Spirit commented. Lucy smiled.

"Good work, Virgo, you too Sagittarius" she stated. The horseman bowed, before disappearing back to the Celestial Spirit Realm.

"I'm glad to be of service, my lady" he said as he went. Once Sagittarius was gone, Lucy had just enough energy to tie the rope around Andor, and with a little help from Virgo, keep him under wraps whilst she tended to Juvia. Looking about, Lucy could see that Gray and Rogue, as well as Erza, were all finished with their respective tasks.

Signalling to the Ice Mage, Lucy managed to get some help and brought Juvia over to where Rogue was resting. Lucy briefly glanced at the Shadow Dragon Slayer, taking note of the wound he had received in his fight, before she continued to tend to the Water Mage. Gray looked at Juvia's condition.

"How is she?" he asked cautiously. Lucy frowned.

"I think she'll be okay, but I've sent Virgo to go and find Wendy and bring her here" the blonde stated. Gray nodded.

"That's a good idea, Rogue needs to be checked out too" he commented, before looking over to Natsu and Sting. "Now let's just hope no one else will need her help, otherwise I don't think we're gonna be of much use to Arthur and the other's when we arrive" he stated. Lucy nodded.

"Yeah… I wonder how they are doing?" she stated. Gray shrugged.

"Who knows, but with their crazy power they can't be making it easy for their opponents, right?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah" she agreed, "Let's just hope that's true".

/

 **Fourth Match-up; Sting Eucliffe and Natsu Dragneel vs. Caspian**

Caspian eyed up the two Dragon Slayers who came to stand before him. "So, you two _are_ my opponents… I figured as much" the red-head laughed as the White and Fire Dragon Slayer's narrowed their gazes onto their joint quarry.

"We volunteered to take you on" Sting stated in a flat and unwelcoming tone.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, this'll be payback for that night at the bar… _and_ for whatever creepy stuff you did in that hotel" the pinkette added, his voice tinged with anger already.

Caspian smirked at Natsu's unbridled rage. "Ah ha, they told you what I did I take it, or rather… what _you_ did" the red-head smiled broadly as he pointed with his scimitar toward the pair.

Natsu growled lowly at the action. "You made me fight Sting… _hurt_ Sting…" he stated in reply. Sting registered the loose control in Natsu's words, and reached out for the pinkette.

"Don't go losing your composure yet, Natsu" he whispered carefully, before meeting Caspian's gaze; the red-head didn't even seem to bat an eye at the slight contact or exchange between the pair. Sting narrowed his eyes once more at the swordsman whom they had to defeat. "You can't threaten us with that curse any more, since Thomas blocked it" he stated, trying to keep his composure a little more than his boyfriend was able.

Caspian raised an eyebrow at Sting's comment. "So, he did, however that doesn't mean I can't curse _you_ , Mr Eucliffe. Like I said before I have yet to give you a little one of my presents" Caspian smirked slyly as he said this. Once more Natsu tensed, however he remained impassive under Sting's touch. The White Dragon Slayer silently thanked Natsu for not charging in, yet.

"I doubt your curse will work on me, what with how weak it is. I'm not as easy to put to sleep as Natsu is" Sting smirked in mock-confidence as he said this, earning a vaguely disproving glance from Natsu, who would probably have objected to the comment if he hadn't already been proven wrong by being captured earlier. Caspian, on the other hand, gave a very tense look, as if he was trying very hard not to show anger. _He's just like Natsu… in fact, all of them seem to be; if you call them weak, or make fun of their curses then they get really angry really fast… now if we can just get him to come to us…_ the White Dragon Slayer plotted carefully.

After a brief moment, Caspian retaliated to the blonde's comment. "If my power is so weak, it makes me wonder just how weak a person must be to be affected by it then?" he said this entirely whilst looking at Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer rallied at the statement.

Growling once more, the pinkette tensed to pounce, however Sting held him firm, a smile on his face. "Natsu is weak, in many ways" he agreed, earning a look of complete disbelief from the pinkette that in any other situation Sting might've called 'cute'.

"Stiiiiing…" he whined in slight shock. Sting smirked brighter seeing the 'cute' expression on Natsu's face.

"Yes, Natsu is weak in many ways; he's loud, impulsive, and _really_ short tempered. He always picks fights, even when he doesn't need to, and he easily gets distracted… however despite all these weaknesses, he's also strong, cute, and most importantly caring. He cares for me, and for others, and he wouldn't _ever_ let someone as low as you get to him" Sting gave Natsu a hooded look of warning as he mentioned this last bit, before continuing. "So, even if he is weak, I still love him, and I wouldn't ever ask him to change… and I hope that he won't, for anyone or anything" Sting turned away from Caspian and instead looked towards Natsu as he said this. The pinkette was practically cooing at the little speech his boyfriend just gave.

"Sting…" he breathed again, this time with a happier note to his voice. Caspian watched the brief affair for a moment, before butting in.

"You two are really something" he laughed, dragging the pair's attention back to him after only a few minutes. Both Dragon Slayers looked to him with contempt. "You're sickening, and so… so annoying it's unbelievable. What makes it worse is that you actually believe in everything you say, just like that goddamned bastard Hugo. I can't stand idealists, and what's worse…" the red-head gave a very sour expression as he clutched his blade tighter, "I can't even bear to look at fools who idolise each other, so… just die already, and take all that lovey-dovey crap with you" with that outburst Caspian charged forward, scimitar held ready as he sliced through the air, aiming for Sting's shoulder.

"I'm gonna make you fight each other" the scimitar-wielder added, "Then you'll see that regardless of what you _feel_ you will ultimately bow down to me" Caspian tried to land a blow, however Sting was too fast for him, and within moments he was already too far forward, with both of the Dragon Slayers positioned behind him.

"Looks like you _aren't_ gonna be putting a curse on me after all" Sting chuckled, as he and Natsu stood shoulder-to-shoulder against the scimitar wielder.

"Really?" he asked, sarcastically, "Why ever not?"

Sting and Natsu smiled viciously. "Because this is where we beat ya" Natsu laughed, before looking to Sting. "Right?" he asked, seeking confirmation.

Sting nodded. "Right" he confirmed, "So let's do it. White Dragon-" Sting began concentrating his magic power to his mouth. Natsu did the same.

"Fire Dragon…" he mirrored only a second later.

"ROAR!" the barked in unison, each unleashing a wave of magic that surged forth towards their target, a beautiful display of power in an all-consuming blast of light and flame. Caspian looked on the attack with awe, just as it struck him.

Smiling at their work the pair failed, momentarily, to notice something that should have otherwise been obvious to them. "You two look pleased with yourselves" Caspian chirped up, standing exactly where he had a few moments ago, before the brash charge. Natsu and Sting's heads snapped around in unison upon hearing the voice.

"How did you…?" Natsu trailed off, as he met the gaze of the chuckling red-head.

Sting frowned, a few memories of the night outside the bar filtering through his consciousness. "Illusion Magic… but strong enough to fool _our_ senses?" the White Dragon ventured a guess. Caspian laughed at the pairs confusion, before shrugging.

"That's not totally correct, but yes. Unlike my fellow Troupe-members, I have split my focus between learning the sword and learning magic. As such, I am not so narrow-minded as to believe totally in my blade" Caspian explained, before holding up his sword. "Whilst it might also be true that my power alone is not strong enough to beat a Dragon Sayer's, nor are my illusions good enough to fool your senses ordinarily, by combining my swords power and my own, I become something much _more_ … I become a true Master of Illusion, capable of tricking the strongest of senses, and striking from where my opponent least expects" Caspian gave a little mock bow of confidence.

Sting narrowed his eyes upon the red-head as he said this. "So why didn't you attack us just now, then?" he questioned, "We should've been open enough for you to _maybe_ get a strike in… if you're lucky" the blonde's voice was firm, but honest. Caspian laughed loudly.

"Because if I did that then I wouldn't have gotten to see those looks of confusion on your faces" he stated, before quickly changing from a laugh to a dark chuckle. "However _next_ time, I won't hold back. I still do hate you after all" he added in a much more spiteful tone of voice. Sting shook his head, before Natsu spoke up.

"There won't be a next time, buddy!" the pinkette shouted. Sting looked to his partner with a smile, before shrugging.

"You heard him" he stated, not needing to add anything more to that statement, looking back to Caspian. The swordsman chuckled, before raising his hand up.

"Come and get me then" he said in challenge. Sting and Natsu took him up on his offer, and with smirks on their faces, the two Dragon Slayers rushed forward, light and flame infusing their fists as they ran.

Sting was the first to attempt a punch, however to his dismay, it simply passed through the illusory Caspian's grinning façade. "Too slow" Caspian mused, as he appeared to Sting's right.

"Really?" Natsu growled, as he darted around Sting, and attempted his own punch. This also failed spectacularly, as the pinkette simply passed through the second illusion.

"Yes, really. You can't touch me" Caspian laughed, as he appeared slightly left of where he placed his second illusionary self. Natsu glared up at the red-head, a low growling noise emitting from his throat.

Sting watched Caspian for a moment, as the pinkette lunged for him once more, failing to land a blow. Again. "Hmm…" an idea struck the blond, who continued to stand watching for a moment.

"Get back here!" Natsu called out, as he attempted another flurry of kicks and blows that all landed on nothing more than thin air.

Just as Caspian appeared for yet another time, however, Sting smirked. "White Dragon Roar" the blond barked, emitting forth a laser of pure white light, that surged over to the red-head's latest position. Natsu watched with pride as Sting's attack hit its mark, or nearly, as Caspian dodged to the right, his non-scimitar-wielding, left arm getting hit in the process.

"Argh… you… you managed to hit me?!" Caspian snarled in disbelief. Natsu came to stand over by the blond once more, as Sting smiled confidently.

"Yeah… I noticed that there was a couple of seconds between you creating those illusions. If Natsu tried to hit you before the time, you dodged the attack, whilst other times you used the illusions" Sting stated, explaining his hastily made observation.

Caspian eyed the blond angrily, cradling his injured arm carefully. "You're… annoyingly… the first person to notice that. Normally, people get so caught up in the fight that they don't even notice the time limit, as small as it is" the red-head commented, somewhat praising the White Dragon Slayers observational skills.

Sting shrugged. "Since Natsu was keeping you busy, I had the time to watch. It's all thanks to _him_ distracting _you_ that I figured it out" Sting remarked, deflecting the praise onto his boyfriend rather than himself. Natsu's eyes positively glowed at the statement of gratitude.

Just as he was about to praise the blond in turn, however, Caspian spoke up. "Tch… before you two get all sickening again, I think I'm just gonna do _this_ " the red-head rose his blade up so that it was pointing towards the sky, and in a bright flash of pinkish-red light a dozen or more copies of him were left standing before the Dragon Slayer duo.

"So instead of running, you're hiding now? How lame are you?" Sting chuckled, as his eyes scanned over the numerous versions of Caspian that stood before him. _I can't tell which one's real, they're identical. And they all smell like him too…_

Caspian laughed cockily from in amongst the crowd of illusions. "You can _try_ and find me, the real me; however, I doubt you ever _will_ " the red-head called out. Sting groaned, before looking to Natsu.

"I know that Thomas said for us to conserve magic power but, do you think-" Sting cut himself off quickly as he saw Natsu beaming at him.

"Overkill?" the pinkette asked, voice as eager as his expression. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, you ready?" he replied. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah… Fire Dragon…" he began concentrating his power instantly. Sting smirked at his partners preparedness, before he began focusing his energy himself.

"White Dragon…" the pair each faced the crowd of Caspian-decoys, before grinning widely.

"ROAR!" they shouted in unison. Calling upon at least twice as much magic power as last time, the two Dragon Slayers unleashed a mighty wave of light and flame, that bathed the whole area in magic.

Caspian, who under an illusion of invisibility, was busy crawling away, barely had time to look back before the attack hit him at full force, burning away his cloak, and much of his clothing for good measure.

"AHHH!" he screamed in pain, rolling around as he tried to douse the flames on his person, the temporary blindness inflicted by the brightness of the spell only the second most pressing of his concerns at that moment.

As the spell subsided, Natsu and Sting stood shoulder-to-shoulder, with their fingers entwined. Neither of them knew when exactly they had began holding hands, whether it was before the spells activation, or sometime during, however they squeezed the other's grip tightly. Then they laughed.

"Maybe we" Sting started.

"Overdid it?" Natsu finished. Sting shook his head.

"No, maybe we should go see if he's alive, then we can tie him up" Sting corrected. Natsu nodded.

"Alright" he agreed, before pushing forward over the scorched earth in front of them to where the 'Master Illusionist' stood whimpering. "You ready to give up and let us tie you up?" Natsu asked the red-head.

Caspian didn't respond verbally, he just gave a weak nod; after that attack, he figured doing anything more would likely lose him not just his life, but maybe the rest of his dignity whilst he was at it. After all, it wasn't like he really believed in the cause he was fighting for, unlike Hugo he wasn't a fanatic.

With Caspian's defeat, only one opponent remained standing from the Troupe's forces; from that moment, everything was left up to Hugo.

 **End of Chapter 30**

 **Chapter Hint; Boss Battles**


	31. Chapter 31 - Boss Battles

**Chapter 31 – Boss Battles**

 **Zollzero Mansion, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

 **Final Match-up; Haruki and Kenji Himura vs. Hugo**

Looking around at the other match-ups, Hugo, the Blade Troupe leader, gave a wicked smirk.

"Tch… You seem to have made some _interesting_ tactical choices, Thomas" he mumbled to himself, before eyeing up the last pair to fight; Kenji and Haruki Himura. "And I suppose I should've expect you two to face me. Appropriate, if nothing else" the sabre-wielding swordsman commented, as Kenji and Haruki stood before him, the preparedness clear on their expressions.

"Well, who else'll manage to pull off something like taking you on except us?" Haruki questioned rhetorically. Kenji gave a vague smile of satisfaction.

"It will be much more interesting to face you one-on-one, Hugo. Your teamwork was as splendid as always, however… how about your solo skills?" the old sword master gave a wry smirk as he locked eyes with the black-haired male. Hugo railed at being reminded of his past tutelage under the older man.

"You should already _know_ how good I am, or is it that in your old age you've forgotten some things, old man?" Hugo replied in a venomous tongue.

Kenji shrugged, before holding up his last remaining katana blade; the eerie purple Kitsune Blade hummed with a soft light, interpreting its user's readiness for battle. "Hmmm… let's see just how much I remember of your fighting style, by resuming our duel from before" the older sword master stated. Hugo's face cracked into a vicious smile upon hearing this, the elegant sabre blade instantly being raised as he assumed his usual fighting stance.

"Alright. I assume that as per usual, the boy will not interfere?" Hugo gave a fleeting glance to Haruki as he said this.

Haruki smiled. "Only if I deem it necessary" he assured the other man.

Hugo scowled, however he nodded din understanding. "That would be very… tactful" he agreed. "So, on the count of three?" he said to Kenji.

The old man just laughed. "This is a bit too serious for that, how about just start?" he replied. Hugo laughed, before instantly going into motion, not giving a second more to the conversation.

"Very well" he stated, as he was already within striking distance of the katana-wielder.

Kenji moved like a coiled viper, springing out in a blur of motion that forced the charging Hugo to a standstill instantaneously. The clash of steel-on-steel was all that could be heard as the two men opposed each other. In order to avoid another locked-blade battle, Hugo swerved with his sabre, and attempted a sequence of different stabs and slashes that monopolised on his blades light-weight, thin nature. Kenji, however, was too quick in his newly revitalised body to be struck with the attacks, and he deftly avoided each of them before delivering his own counterattack.

Haruki, from a safe position a few steps away, analysed Hugo's every move. His marksmanship-honed eyes watched for any attack that could deal a deadly blow to his grandfather, and with his muscles coiled, he was ready to act at a moment's notice.

For the most part the two swordsmen appeared evenly matched; with Kenji having, and utilising, the advantage of increased skill and wisdom and Hugo, in contrast to this, using his more youthful nature and exceptional dexterity to attempt to locate and exploit any weakness in his opponent's defences. Had things not been the way they were, Haruki would've been impressed, however… things were what they were, and the teen knew that it would be only a matter of time before he was needed. One way or another.

"Hah… you're just as slippery as you always were" Kenji puffed, as the two sought a momentary respite in their exchange of blows.

Hugo shrugged. "And you seem to really have been rejuvenated by that wooden sword of yours" he replied, a little more breathless than the older male. Kenji cracked a small smile.

"Like I told you, the best weapons are saved for when you really need them" he stated. Hugo gave an annoyed smile.

"True. And the best stratagems are saved for the most opportune moments" he replied, earning a chuckle from the sword master.

"So, you _do_ remember you're training, though you protest because of our history" Kenji stated amusedly, but with a wariness to his tone as he mentioned the history. Hugo smiled.

"Yes, I remember our training with you… and your son. How is he doing by the way?" Hugo's voice took on a surprisingly vicious undertone as he said this. Kenji narrowed his eyes.

"He's a failure and he's dead, as you rightly know" the old man stated with a little more bitterness to his voice. Hugo smiled wider as he heard this.

"Oh right… yes, of course" the black-haired man tried to sound apologetic and remorseful, however it came out as a wicked and hollow voice that poked fun at the old man's displeasure. "He died because the Patriarch couldn't tolerate _another_ of his failures. First, he failed to stop _us_ leaving… then he failed to capture and bring us back" Hugo took great amusement stating these facts, revelling in the painful memories they conjured up in the older man's mind. Kenji scowled.

"That's all history, what matters now is that it's me, and not him, who is facing you" Kenji muttered, before raising his katana once more. Hugo chuckled, resuming his battle-ready stance.

"Of course… although technically it is you, and little Haruki over there, who are facing me" the black-haired man corrected. Kenji shrugged.

"Perhaps… although for the moment, this remains a duel between just us" Kenji stated, as he began moving forward, quickly reaching his minimum striking distance, before delivering a powerful slash that Hugo ducked under. From his new position the sabre-wielder struck out at his opponent, only hitting thin air as Kenji hastily put some distance between himself and Hugo. Hugo continued putting his foe on the defensive, following up his failed attack with two consecutive blows that Kenji firstly avoided, before parrying and delivering a low cutting arc, aimed towards Hugo's knee. The black-haired man deftly jumped up and over the blade, however before he could deliver another strike, Kenji turned his katana mid-air in an incredible feat of dexterity and skill, and brought it around for another attack. "Damn…" Hugo cursed, as the deadly magical sword cut into the flesh of his thigh with ease. In order to avoid too deep a wound, the male threw himself to the side, ignoring the crippling waves of pain that resulted from him landing in a low crouching position. Warmth seeped down Hugo's leg as blood soaked through the black fabric of his trousers. "That blade is just as sharp as it appears… had… had I not moved, would you really have removed my entire leg?" the swordsman gritted his teeth as he shifted his weight to his other good leg.

Kenji smirked at his handiwork. "Of course, I would have. It's easier to deal with a leg that has been completely severed rather than a leg that has been _mostly_ severed" he mused. Hugo narrowed his gaze, and began using the mental meditative techniques he had mastered years ago in order to block off the pain.

"Well then… it seems you failed to sever it regardless… however, I am now at a disadvantage" the black-haired male managed to maintain his composure despite the wound, his dark eyes surveying the scene before him to see if there was any chance of escape. There was none; two of the Troupe had already been defeated, and from what he could see, Caspian and Andor would not last much longer in their respective fights. "Tch… looks like I am going to have to do something very un-gentlemanly" Hugo mumbled to himself. Kenji narrowed his eyes as he observed his ex-pupils surveying stare.

"What are you going to do? Flee? Surrender?" Kenji's voice carried all the weight of a sledgehammer as he laid out the only two obvious answers. Hugo smirked a little, before he tensed his body. "Fight?" Kenji added a third option. The black-haired male nodded.

"Yes, I would rather fight until the end" he stated, before leaping from his one good leg, using the momentum to drive Kenji back a few steps. Once Hugo made blade-to-blade contact, he performed a sequence of deceptively clumsy and uncoordinated strikes that forced his opponent into a defensive position, all the while carefully plotting out in his head their exact positions. Kenji gritted his teeth at the wild, forceful blows of his opponent.

"Your attacks have lost all focus and sense of balance, Hugo" the old man commented. Hugo smiled.

"Perhaps" he stated, as he continued to deliver a number of additional attacks. _Just a bit more and… now…_ he thought, smirking wickedly. "However, they've driven you back enough to allow me to do _this_!" Hugo smirked wickedly. Kenji went wide eyed, as the black-haired sabre wielder delivered one last off-balanced blow, before he changed direction and with all the strength he could muster, and with great resistance from his wound, sprinted towards Haruki.

The Bullet Mage was just as surprised as his grandfather, when the swordsman came running directly at him, and was not prepared to face such an attack, as in his arrogance he had expected the injured Hugo incapable of such a manoeuvre. "I've got you now brat!" Hugo spat as he closed the distance in record time, blade primed and ready to stab Haruki's shoulder the moment he got within reach. "Once I've… got you under my spell, you will… defeat your grandfather for me" he added, as he reached within striking distance, his blade meeting flesh with ease. Haruki tried to raise his arms in defence, however it was no used. It also, was not required.

Before Hugo managed to reach the boy, another, more muscular shield, stood in the path of his blade. "I will not… let you take another of my family!" Kenji snarled, as he caught the sabre in his sword-arm. Hugo was momentarily surprised at his failure to secure his target; this quickly passed, as pure glee overtook his features, even momentarily silencing the pain in his leg.

Haruki looked on in horror as the black-haired man, with a twisted grin of pleasure and immense satisfaction, drove his blade right through Kenji's bicep until it burst out of his shoulder. "I've done it… I've… got _you_!" Hugo giggled ecstatically, "Now I can finally use my curse to… make you serve me… make you… let's see…" Hugo fumbled about for an idea, before the most devious plan he could have devised came to mind. "I'm going to make you fight your own grandchild… then, after you have killed him… you will have nothing left, and your hollow form will serve the _true_ Zollzero masters until the day you die" Hugo cackled near-maniacally as he made his plans known. Kenji, however, just smiled, his rock-hard gaze never wavering from his opponent for a moment. The intense stare of the older sword master angered Hugo greatly, however it had only a minute effect compared to the words Kenji spoke that moment.

"Only _if_ I defeat Haruki" he stated boldly.

/

Haruki froze in horror as he watched his grandfather become wounded, trying to defend him. Although the teen had known it was likely he would have to cope with seeing his grandfather get injured on this mission, he had not expected it to go like this. For the barest of moments, the world seemed to go quiet, and the events of his father's death filled Haruki's mind. The teen didn't even hear Hugo's maniacal laughter, or the plan he spewed forth in wicked glee; all Haruki could think about was his father's death, and his grandfather before him.

It was only when Kenji spoke, that the silence around the teen stopped. "Only _if_ I defeat Haruki" he said, in a tone as cold, hard and level as the steel of his blades. Haruki regained his composure as he heard those words. Without further hesitation the faux-blonde teen leapt back away from where his grandfather was still standing, and trained his fingers onto the pair.

Hugo registered the teen's actions, but did nothing to stop him. "What are you going to do, shoot me? You know that your dearest grandfather will get hit as well" the black-haired man smirked as he met Haruki's determined gaze. "Can you really cope with losing another of your family members?" Hugo then questioned, eyes not straying from Haruki.

The teen wizard allowed himself to wave for only a second, before he trained his 'finger guns' onto the pair, aim perfect. "I don't think that gramps or my old man would let me sleep at night, if something like them dying was enough to stop me from doing what was necessary" he stated boldly. Hugo shrugged.

"Well then, fire away if you so wish, however in order to hit me you _will_ have to shoot your grandfather down first" Hugo readied himself for the younger boy's attack. Smirking Haruki fired, two bolts of purplish light flying through the air towards the pair.

"You missed!" Hugo laughed as neither shot managed to strike him. Haruki ruffled his brow.

"Did I?" he asked in a mocking tone, earning a confused expression from the sabre-wielder. "Only, I'm pretty sure both shots hit gramps, like I intended" he added after a moment.

This information only heightened Hugo's obvious confusion. "You… intended to hit him?" he asked suspiciously.

Haruki nodded, a smile playing with his lips. "Of course, I did, I mean… it will only knock him unconscious, however that's all I really need to do if I wanna stop you controlling him, right?" the teen couldn't help the slight chuckle that emitted from his throat.

Hugo scowled instantly as he heard Haruki explain his attack, before he looked back toward Kenji, removing his blade from the old man's body whilst he was at it. Sure enough, without the extra support, Kenji took one step back, Kitsune Blade fading back into light which returned to his body, before collapsing. Laying there on the ground the old man had a confident smile as he passed out; this infuriated Hugo. "Damn that… damn you all!" Hugo roared as his gaze flicked from the rage-inducing expression on his old master's face, to the cocky, confident grin on his new opponent's leering countenance.

"It takes you _and_ Caspian to control a person who's not awake, and from the looks of it he's out the picture. In fact, if you bother to look around, Hugo, it looks like _you_ are the only one still _in the picture_ now anyways" Haruki laughed, as he made a grandiose gesture around the plateau, where Argent, Andor, Caspian were all tied up, and where Vance was still frozen. The black-haired man growled lowly at the revelation of his comrade's joint defeats.

"Tch… useless lot" he grumbled under his breath, before his eyes locked on to Haruki once more. "Even if they are all defeated, it doesn't look like _your_ allies made it out much better than us, what with two injured, not including the old fool right here" Hugo commented aloud. Haruki shrugged.

"Yeah, but _we've_ got a healer. You guys have got nothing but misguided faith. I'd suggest you should give up now, however… it's unlikely that you're going to do that, right?" Haruki smiled knowingly at Hugo.

The Blade Troupe leader smiled back, recognition shared between two opponents. "Of course, so now that only leaves one thing…" he replied. Haruki nodded.

"Yup" he agreed, not needing to finish the sentence, since both knew what was coming.

The two waited a moment, barely more than a heartbeat. Then they each set into motion. Hugo was slower with his injured leg; however, he was making gains on the teen, who tried to put as much distance between them as possible. "You're a marksman, Haruki, not a swordsman. You're fighting style is completely incompatible for this type of combat" Hugo stated, as he manoeuvred with a surprising amount of grace, dodging the few pot-shots Haruki sent his way.

"This coming from the one-legged warrior" Haruki replied, before turning around. "Fine then, have it your way" he added, before training both of his finger-guns onto the oncoming swordsman, a hail of magical bullets issuing forth. Hugo cursed as he had to throw himself to one side, the injury from his leg leaving him unable to dodge the more numerous attacks as he had before. "Hah, like that" Haruki cheered, as he saw his attack managed to stop the swordsman, "Now for my next trick…" the teen changed from firing projectiles from his fingers and instead closed his hand into a fist, training the whole arm onto Hugo's new position. The swordsman could sense danger in this next attack, and immediately began to charge forward, hoping to cover the remaining distance and strike the teen down.

Unfortunately, he barely managed to cover half the distance, with his leg groaning more and more in protest as the fight wore on. "Stupid… weak…" he cursed at himself, as Haruki's spell was finished.

"Heh, now… as I was saying, for my next trick… my most powerful attack… Flare Shot. Kaboom!" Haruki laughed as a massive sphere of energy shot out of his fist, and arced through the air towards Hugo. The swordsman realised he had no chance to stop the teen now, so instead, in an act of desperation, he sliced at the projectile, hoping to cut it into pieces and prevent his injury.

As soon as the orb made contact with the blade, it exploded with resounding force, hurling Hugo back across the plateau. Haruki had to shield himself from the light of the blast, however as it subsided, he took great pleasure in watching the black-haired swordsman attempt to stand. Hugo was barely a shadow of his initial glory, with his blade cracked all the way along from the attack, and his clothes torn and ripped. His injured leg was shaking dangerously, with deep dark patch where the blood hand been absorbed. "I… will not… go down… so… eas-easily" he chattered, as his eyes locked onto Haruki with a look of defiance.

The teen shook his head, and began walking up to the male. "No, you wouldn't, would you?" he replied rhetorically, "However, my grandfather has been injured, Arthur, Edric and Medea are busy fighting elsewhere, and your group has been defeated. You have no reason to continue, and we cannot afford to keep fighting. That is why I am going to end this, here, and now" Haruki spoke with a determination that completely eclipsed Hugo's defiant glare.

The black-haired man smiled. "So, you _are_ going to kill me" he stated, in tone that made it sound more like a taunt. Haruki said nothing in defence, he simply raised his finger gun, so that it was trained onto the sabre-wielder's head.

Then he fired.

Hugo didn't make a noise as the attack hit him, he simply fell to the ground with an ungraceful thud. Once the male was unconscious, Haruki spoke. "Like I would ever do that, you still need to pay for what you've done. Just sleep for now, whilst we deal with your mess" he stated.

/

 **Zollzero Mansion, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

I didn't let go of Sting's hand as we re-joined the others waiting for us in a quieter area on the plateau. "You two took your time" Gray commented, as he saw us coming over. I smiled.

"Maybe our guy was tougher than yours" I replied cockily. Gray frowned, before glancing back, to where I noticed Rogue was laying down, a wound hastily patched around his stomach. Sting followed my gaze.

"Rogue!" the blond cried out in surprise as he rushed over to his friend, almost dragging me along, until I let go of his hand. "What happened?" the blond seemed to direct this to both the Shadow Dragon Slayer as well as his secret Ice Mage lover beside him.

Rogue frowned. "I got stabbed" he replied dryly, "It's kind of expected when you're fighting a swordsman" he added with a tired voice.

Sting frowned at hearing this. "I could've guessed that, I mean… how did this happen, like… er…" the blond fumbled for the words he was looking for.

"How'd you let yourself get hit?" I asked for him, gauging roughly what he wanted to say. Rogue shrugged from his position on the ground.

"He was faster than expected, he managed to get me before I could become a shadow again" he responded. I looked over to where Vance was now frozen solid, before I looked over to Gray.

"And I guess that after that, Gray went crazy and threw loads of spells at him until he went down?" I mused. Gray smirked.

"Yeah, something like that… anyways, what happened with your guy?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"He tried to trick us with illusions, so instead of trying to hit _him_ , we just fired all our magic over the whole area" I explained in brief the events of mine and Sting's little duel. Gray chuckled.

"You know we were supposed to save our magic power, right?" he laughed. Sting and I both rubbed the back of our heads.

"Well… maybe" I stated unsurely. Gray continued chuckling as his eyes strayed over to where Haruki and Kenji were fighting hard. "They're still going at it" he commented. I nodded.

"Yeah… only, wait… Kenji's been stabbed!" I barked as I observed Hugo standing close to his opponent. They were too far away to be heard properly, however I caught small traces of their conversation, as the others all gathered around me to observe.

"H-how… did he manage to get him?" Lucy asked tentatively. I shrugged.

"I wasn't watching… damn, I'm gonna go help him" I stated, before Erza reached an arm out in front of me to block my path.

"Wait Natsu, Haruki looks like he's about to do something" I scowled, however I did as I was asked. Sure enough, as the red-head had said, the teen Bullet Mage began to move into action, first by shooting two attacks at Kenji.

"Did he just shoot his own grandfather?" Sting asked with a tone of surprise and horror. I shook my head.

"No, he's just stunned him to knock him out. Like what he did against Gray in their duel" I commented, jabbing a thumb in the rough direction of my rival. The Ice Mage pouted at me bringing up the subject of his past loss, however he made no comment as our eyes were glued to the fight now erupting before us.

Haruki dodged and dived, whilst running and putting some distance between himself and the sabre-wielding man. "Is Hugo slower or is it just me?" Lucy observed. Erza narrowed her eyes.

"Looks like he's injured. Maybe Kenji managed to get him before he was stabbed?" the red head suggested.

"Well whatever it is, it's letting Haruki get a decent distance away, however just running and firing won't be enough to stop him… probably" Sting noted. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Hugo's really strong" I stated, "However, so is Haruki" I added after a moment.

Sting chuckled. "I thought you always said you hated Haruki" he chuckled, before nudging me with his arm.

I shrugged in response to this. "He was always really annoying, however annoying people can still be strong" I commented, before grinning, "Just like Gray" I added mockingly. The Ice Mage snapped his head around after I said this.

"Are you lookin' for a fight, pinky?" he barked. I just laughed.

"Maybe" I stated, before I noticed Erza glancing over at me, "B-but… how about _after_ all this is over?" I added after re-thinking my options.

We continued watching for a few more minutes, then, without much warning, the fight was all over. In one explosion of magical force, Haruki beat Hugo down, before finally finishing him with a single shot to the head. "Is that it… did he kill him?" Sting asked in a hushed voice, as he, like everyone else was drawn into the dramatic silence of the end of the fight.

I pouted. "I thought we weren't supposed to kill them?" I voiced in reply. Erza nodded.

"Yes, we weren't. For Haruki, however… maybe he has other orders?" the red-head commented, just as Haruki, with his unconscious grandfather slung over his shoulder, and with Hugo dragging along behind him, walked over to us, a stern and serious expression on his youthful features. He placed Hugo down ungracefully beside his other Troupe Member's, before moving on to where Juvia and Rogue lay resting, placing his grandfather more carefully on the ground near them. No one said a word as the teen did this, not even Haruki himself.

It was only after his two unconscious passengers had been unloaded that he finally turned around to speak. "Well… that took longer than expected" Haruki stated, a slight smile playing with his features. "How did everyone else do?"

/

"Ah, so other than Juvia and Rogue no one else was injured?" Haruki asked us for confirmation. We all nodded. "That's good. I think for now, though, we will need to wait for Virgo to return with Wendy and then we can move on. We should also make sure this lot is secure too" Haruki stated, taking a role as proxy-leader in the absence of Arthur, Kenji or even Thomas.

I frowned impatiently. "Why don't Sting and I go on ahead, we can come back and tell you where Arthur and the others are?" I suggested, not being able to quite contain the eagerness for action in my voice. Haruki shook his head.

"No, it's likely they've already engaged their cousins, and who knows what other traps Hugo may have left in the mansion. Although he is confident in his abilities, he isn't stupid enough to not at _least_ have seven other back-up plans in case the Troupe failed to prevent us from continuing on" Haruki replied.

"Yes, it would be wise to wait, and decide our next move" Erza concurred. I pouted.

"But, what is-" before I could begin to counter-argue, a huge shockwave resounded across the plateau. "What the hell is that?!" I barked in surprise, as I crouched low to avoid tumbling over in the face of the resounding explosion of light that emanated forth from the mansion, quickly followed by an earth-shaking grumble. Haruki looked over to where a thin column of lightning arced into the sky from the ground, a loud crash of thunder quickly following it, before a much larger explosion of light burst forth from the heavens.

"That confirms that Arthur and the others are battling out somewhere inside. Perhaps even in the centre garden… damn, it's too hard to tell from that one explosion" Haruki mumbled, in a voice just loud enough that I could hear over the continued rumbles.

Not a moment later, one of Thomas' Archive screens popped up in front of us all, displaying what looked to be a layout of the building before us. "Not a bad guess Haruki" Thomas' voice played out telepathically for us, in a louder-than-usual volume, "It seems that the centre of that massive attack is somewhere in, or near to, the central garden" the boy continued.

"How's Edric?" Haruki's voice was full of concern for his friend/boyfriend.

Thomas didn't reply for a moment. "His signature is still readable; however, it is fainter than before. It would seem that attack has significantly weakened both him and Medea. Arthur is the only one going strong now" Thomas relayed. Haruki muttered a curse.

"What's the projected chances of Arthur holding out, and how long?" Haruki wasted no time in continuing his line of questioning.

Thomas made a mumbled calculation over the telepathic communication. "It looks as though Arthur may last another few minutes, but no more than that. Edric and Medea less than that" Thomas stated flatly, in a voice, surprisingly, lacking in emotion. Haruki nodded in understanding.

"Alright" he stated, before turning around to look at our group. "We don't have time to waste, it seems. Lucy, do you think you can remain here to look after the others, whilst we go and find Arthur to assist him" Haruki asked the blond with eyes afire.

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Sure" she stated, "Virgo shouldn't be much longer, and if anyone else comes, or if these guy's try to act up, I'll use my keys" she added. Haruki nodded in understanding.

"Okay. The rest of you, come with me" he stated. Erza frowned.

"Why do we need so many of us?" the red-head asked. Haruki looked over to where Thomas' screen still floated.

"Thomas, how many _additional_ signatures are there in the mansion?" he asked. The blond boy gave a moment to respond.

"Fourty-five. From my analysis of some of the more recognisable signatures, it would seem they are old enemies of our family" Thomas stated.

Haruki smiled as he looked back towards Erza. "That's why; on top of the Blade Troupe, there were another fifty or so people guarding the twins. It would also seem that they have been hired by Hugo from groups known to oppose the family. They will not be an easy fight" Haruki explained. Erza nodded.

"Okay, so the plan is for us to break through them quicker with greater numbers" she stated in confirmation. Haruki nodded, before looking to Gray, then finally to Sting and I.

"Is everybody ready?" he asked. We all nodded.

"Hell yeah" I replied in a fiery tone. Sting smirked.

"Yes, now let's go beat up these guys and finish this whole thing!" the White Dragon added on, in a tone to match my own enthusiasm.

Haruki nodded, before motioning for us all to follow him. "Very well, follow me" he said, in a commanding tone that surprised everyone, including himself.

/

Upon entering the mansion, it did not take us long to find the 'fifty or so' other enemies, however almost immediately upon finding them, Haruki changed plans. Tackling them head on seemed impossible, given how they were _all_ in one room, however we had very few other options.

Observing the large number of opponents from the secrecy of the doorway, the Bullet Mage named a few in a low, muttered tone, before looking to our assemblage. "These guys are no joke. They will kill you as quickly as possible, and they will _not_ follow the whole 'warrior credo' thing that the Troupe did. I think this may be where we have to decide how to proceed" the teenager stated as we all crouched as near to the room with all the enemies as we dared.

Gray frowned upon hearing this, as did I. "What do you mean?" the Ice Mage asked, keeping his voice low.

Haruki maintained his stoic expression. _He's acting a lot more like Kenji now, than when he was at the guild… or even when we started this whole mission_ I thought to myself. "I don't think we can take these guys on like this _and_ go and save Arthur at the same time. We need to decide who stays and fights, and who goes to find Arthur" Haruki explained, answering Gray's inquiry. The Ice Mage pouted.

"Wouldn't it just be quicker if we all stayed and fought, then we could move on really fast to help Arthur?" he questioned. Haruki shook his head.

"It could be too late then. I'm pretty confident in a straight up fight, it'll only take three of us to hold these guys off, however we need to choose who will go on to find Arthur" the teen stated, before pointing to himself, "I'm staying behind anyways. As much as it pains me to say it, I'll have more of an edge taking these guys on, than even trying to help Edric and the others. I'll put my faith in you guys to save 'em" Haruki added, eyes showing both worry and confidence in equal measure. Erza smiled in recognition of the teens resolve.

"Alright then, I'll stay and fight too; taking on this many opponents with you should prove nothing more than an interesting challenge" the red-head replied. Haruki nodded.

"Alright, so who else, we only need one more" he stated, eyeing me, Sting and Gray up individually. I shrugged.

"I get to fight either way, I can stay or-"

"I'll stay" Gray interjected bluntly.

Both Sting and I looked to the Ice Mage with surprise. "You'll stay?" we said in unison. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, remember what Thomas said back when we were planning this whole thing; my Ice Devil Slaying spells will not be as effective against their cousins, since they also practice their own Devil Slayer magics. Plus, they are a lot better trained to use 'em than I am with mine" Gray relayed. Sting looked to me after Gray said this.

"I guess we would fight together better than with anyone else here, right Natsu?" the blond shot me a confident look.

I smiled briefly, before nodding. "Alright, looks like we'll leave this up to you guys" I agreed.

Haruki smiled, before reloading his guns, and nodding to us. "Okay, we'll go in and give these guys a shout, then you two sneak passed whilst they're distracted. Try to avoid getting caught on the way to the inner garden" Haruki stated. We both nodded, before making a move to leave. "Wait… do you two need directions to get there?" Haruki added hurriedly.

I looked back towards the teen, before smiling. "Don't worry, I can smell them already. You three just do your job, and we'll do ours" I responded cockily.

Haruki chuckled. "I should've known you'd say that" he replied, just as Sting and I both began to move again, getting into a position further along the corridor where we could move way unnoticed. Taking a deep breath, Haruki whispered something, before kicking the door to the room full of enemies wide. "Alright you lowlifes, time to taste a bit of revenge, Zollzero… or rather, Himura-style" Haruki grinned. As Erza and Gray followed the blond teen into the fight, Sting and I got away unnoticed.

It was only when we were down the corridor that the White Dragon Slayer looked to me. "Did you hear what Haruki said to himself?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No, what?" I replied in question.

Sting smirked. "He said 'good luck' followed by an even quieter 'good luck Edric'" Sting said.

I smiled upon hearing that information, before taking on a more fiery-eyed look. "You know what, Haruki may be annoying still, but I think he'd be a pretty good member of Fairy Tail. He's already got the right kind of heart for it" I commented. Sting nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he'd be fun to have around Sabertooth too" Sting agreed, before edging further down the corridor. "Anyways, since they're doing their best, let's do ours. Now… which way is Arthur?" he looked to me. I rolled my eyes.

"You really need to practice using your nose… come on, follow me. He's this way" I stated, before bounding down towards the inner garden area, and towards the final fight of that evening.

/

 **Zollzero Mansion Inner Garden, Autumn Time,**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

"Ha ha ha ha, you'll have to be faster than that" Tenchi laughed, as he moved around the garden at high speed, lightning crackling all over his person.

"Tch…" Edric groaned, as he grasped at his side, where a particularly well-aimed lightning bolt had just struck him. "Lucky shot" he replied, trying to maintain his cool, calm and collected appearance.

"Little brat" Medea snarled, her body already injured, but steadily maintaining the form of a large, dark-furred wolf.

Tenchi eyed the wolf-woman haughtily. "Be quiet, you just sit there like a good dog and keep up that appearance. It suits you to both look _and_ act like a bitch" he snapped. Medea scowled at the other teen (in her mind at least).

"Hmph… well, let's just see how much this _bitch_ can hurt you then" she replied, before beginning a rapid run up to strike the lightning-engulfed teen. Before she even got half of the distance, however, large stone walls erupted out of the ground around her.

"You aren't gonna get near my bro" Daichi called out, the other twin standing some distance from Tenchi, upon a stone pillar where upon he could overlook the battlefield before him.

"You think so" Medea replied, as she leapt out from a red shimmering portal directly behind Tenchi.

The blond teenager cried out in surprise, being pushed down by the wolf, before he zipped away, propelled by lightning at speeds no ordinary human could reach. "Nice try" he mused, before eyeing up Arthur. "Annoying, those portals of yours. How many times have you had to use 'em to save your _dear_ siblings so far? Seven, maybe eight times?" Tenchi snorted. "Pathetic!".

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "And how many times has _your_ dear brother had to stop us from attacking you, because he _knows_ how easy it'll be to defeat you when we catch you" Arthur snapped back venomously.

Tenchi smirked. " _If_ you catch me, don't get ahead of yourself. Artie" he corrected in a cocky tone, before using the lightning to once more dash about the area, coming in close to Edric.

"No, you don't" Arthur called out, instantly teleporting Edric to his side, and away from their cousin. Likewise, he also teleported Medea to him as well, the young woman returning to her usual form as she was moved about the garden by Arthur's Magic. The blond-haired Devil Slayer frowned.

"Hmph… look at you three, all stood together, so proud, so noble"

"So annoying" Daichi finished what his brother began saying. "However, soon you will be dead, right, Ten?" he added, looking to his brother.

Tenchi nodded. "Yup, I mean, they all already look half-dead now anyways. How about we help them on the rest of the way, Dai?" he replied. Daichi frowned.

"We're doing _that?_ " he asked. Tenchi nodded, before leaping up and joining Daichi on his pillar.

Arthur watched the pair closely, however Edric frowned. "What are you going to do? Both go for range?" Edric quizzed the pair.

Tenchi smiled, although he said nothing as he and Daichi stood shoulder-to-shoulder, the lightning-wielder with his arms up above his head, and the earth-manipulator with his hands outstretched, palms facing the ground. "By heaven," Tenchi began chanting.

"And by earth" Daichi chimed in.

"We consecrate this land, to destroy the evil, and cleanse corruption…"

Arthur's eyes went side as the pair began chanting a longer incantation. "You two, get behind me" he said hurriedly. Edric and Medea did as they were asked, although both looked to their brother with questioning glances.

"What is it Arthur?" Medea asked. Arthur kept quiet, focusing intently upon their pair of teenage Devil Slayers before him.

"Very… bad… I'll teleport us away at the last minute to avoid behind struck" Arthur stated after a short delay. Medea and Edric nodded, each prepared to be suddenly moved.

"…By our power; Smite!" the twins finished their chanting, as golden light enveloped their hands. Daichi went first, slamming his hands into the earthen pillar upon which he stood. Immediately the light sunk into the ground, before the whole garden's earth began to shake and rumble. Great spikes of earth erupted forth in all directions. The Patriarch, still sitting in his cage, dodged a few stray attacks that penetrated the bars of the cage, not enough you let him escape, unfortunately, but certainly deadly enough if he was stabbed by one. Arthur reached out with his Territory, and used it to teleport himself, Edric and Medea up into the air above the garden, intent on being well out of reach of the spell.

That was when Tenchi made his move. With arms still reaching upwards, the Lightning Devil Slayer sent his golden light up into the air, forming a thin, but bright, stream that touched the clouds. Almost instantaneously after that, the clouds roared, a great explosion of light and electricity burst forth, screaming down from the sky to where Arthur and the others were free falling. With wide eyes, Arthur held out his hand, conjuring forth another Territory bubble to take him and his siblings back down to the safety of the ground, out of the way of this follow up attack. Sadly, he was too slow, and a portion of the attack arced through the trio as they laded back upon the ground with a soft thud. "Damn it…" Arthur groaned, as he fell to one knee, the exertion from having to so quickly teleport three people, and the continued fighting beforehand, weakening him.

"Hmph… that… hurt…" Edric wheezed, sitting upon the ground, "Hey Medea… you… okay?" he asked, looking over to his older sister.

Medea was unconscious. "Medea?" Arthur looked over to where she lay on the ground. "Medea!" she gave off a gurgled mutter. "Oh… at least… thank goodness, she's alive" Arthur stated upon hearing the noise.

Edric frowned. "Yeah, but… Arthur, what are we gonna do now? We didn't factor in these two being _this_ strong into our original plan" Edric's voice was filled with worry.

Arthur looked over to where a large hole was now gaping through to the corridor the three had entered the garden from. "It shouldn't be long now…" he mumbled. Edric looked to his brother for a moment, before looking over to where their cousins stood smirking wickedly.

"You look a little lost there, Edric" Tenchi commented. The Dice Mage furrowed his brow.

"Really, because from what I can tell I'm still standing in the Zollzero Mansion, _our mansion_ " he replied, still with a bite to his tone. Tenchi shrugged.

"Well, you're not quite _standing_ " he responded.

Arthur looked over to his cousins before, making a move to stand. "He may not be, but I _am_ still standing" he declared, putting on as brave a face as he could. _Gotta buy a bit more time… Thomas'll finish everything off, and then we'll win_ he thought to himself. Tenchi clicked his tongue.

"You could've just lay down there and admitted defeat, for the show you've given us we would've let you crawl off alive, Artie" Tenchi stated in a mocking tone. Arthur shook his head.

"No, you wouldn't, you said it yourself; we're here to settle once and for all which side of our family is rightfully the group suited most to rule" Arthur replied, before he smirked, "So that means one side's gonna die, right?" he added.

Tenchi shrugged, before looking over to his brother. "Well, Dai, it looks like he wants to continue, shall we finish this now?" he asked. Daichi smiled wickedly, before pointing to Arthur.

"I think I'll be going in this time, Ten, you can cover me" he stated. Tenchi nodded in understanding.

"Alright, you can go. Just… don't kill him too quick and-" Tenchi stopped mid-sentence, as his eyes locked onto a completely different target to the ones he had just been fighting. "No…" he muttered in surprise. Arthur followed the surprised glare of the Devil Slayer, and looked over to the hole in the wall.

"Ahh… the cavalry's arrived" Arthur commented amusedly, before smiling. Edric laughed.

"Yo!" Natsu grinned, as he and Sting stood looking at the trio of Zollzero Mages.

"Thomas said you guys needed some help" Sting continued, before looking over to where Edric and Medea lay. "And it looks like he wasn't kidding" he added observationally.

The pair of Devil Slayer's didn't even know what to begin to say; all they could do was curse Hugo for his failure, not that it would do any good.

Once more, everything was going according to plan. Or at least, Arthur thought it was.

 **End of Chapter 31**

 **Chapter Hint; The Devil Inside**


	32. Chapter 32 - The Devil Inside

**Chapter 32 – The Devil Inside**

 **Inner Garden, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

Natsu and I both arrived at the site of the major most battle that night, in what I could only think of as the 'nick of time'.

"Yo!" Natsu smiled brightly as he greeted Arthur. Stealing a glance to the pinkette, I could see the fires in his eyes burning brightly. Looking back over to Arthur, I noticed Edric smiling weakly in Natsu's direction, Medea obviously unconscious beside him.

"Thomas… ah… said you guys needed some help, and it looks like he wasn't kidding" I explained quickly to Arthur, who just smiled and turned back towards two other individuals, one of which was perched upon a large rock that jutted from the middle of the ruined garden, the other standing in front of it. It was obvious that the stony outcropping did not belong there, which immediately led me to the conclusion that they were the twin cousins that Arthur and the others had set off to fight.

"Are they the guys we've gotta beat? Their cousins?" Natsu whispered to me. I shrugged.

"I guess so" I replied. Eyeing up the pair more closely, I noticed that they weren't completely identical in appearance, despite what Thomas had said back at the guild, although they were very similar. They both donned different attire, and each wore their hair in different styles.

"Damn Hugo, I should've planned the traps myself, rather than let that idiot deal with things. He's been making slip-up, after slip-up ever since that botched job at the port!" One of the twins cried out in anger, from atop the column of rock and earth. I immediately eyed up the shrieking teen; he was blond, much like Arthur and Edric, however unlike them, he did not wear the fancier suits or attire. Instead, he was clad in a leather jacket, with tight-fitting trousers, and thick boots. The jacket was left open, to expose bare muscles beneath his clothes, and on his hands, he wore scaly metallic gloves that were shaped to look like claws.

"Although he did come up with the plan to capture the patriarch, which was successful" the other twin chimed in from the ground, using a much more level tone of voice to his partner. Looking to him, I saw he wore a full leather outfit, all of which seemed too-tight to be comfortable. He also wore gloves, however his were neither clawed, nor metallic, but rather were fingerless and leather. "We should probably deal with things more seriously from now on, though, Tai. Those two were strong enough to defeat the Troupe _and_ those mages that were stationed in the mansion" the grounded brother than added. I allowed a flicker of a smile to pass over my features. _Well… we defeated_ one _of the Troupe at least… and about those other guys… well, I suppose I shouldn't get 'em any angrier than they are already…_

The one identified as 'Ten' then laughed. "It's alright Dai, if they've had to go through all that to get up to us, then that just means they won't have much magic power left, right?" Tai said.

Dai smirked. "I suppose that's true" he agreed, before looking towards Natsu and I with a bit more intent. "Now, let's see how strong you are…" he added. After that statement, 'Dai' rushed forwards towards us with a near inhuman level of speed.

Natsu was first to react, rushing to meet him with flaming fists. "So, you wanna fist fight, do ya?" Natsu chuckled, meeting the oncoming teen blow for blow. I followed suit a moment later, aiming to fire a quick White Dragon Claw and hopefully paralyse one of the two before they became problematic. _The longer the fight, the worse off we'll be… gotta do this fast_ I thought to myself. Just as I was about to get within range and fire off the spell, I felt myself shift about. Disorientated, I took a step and released the spell, the target I intended now a few steps away. I looked to Arthur with confusion. "What the hell, why'd you stop me?!" I barked at him. Not a second after I said that did I hear the thunderclap, lightning striking where I had been only a heartbeat ago.

"I was making sure you weren't hit by _that_ " Arthur stated flatly. "Now come on, whilst Natsu keeps _Daichi_ distracted, we'll take out Tenchi, then we don't need to keep watching over our heads all the time" he added hastily.

I frowned, eyeing up the teen upon the rock. "So, he's the Lightning Devil Slayer, right?" I asked. Arthur nodded.

"Yes, now… are you ready?" he asked me. I frowned.

"For wha-" before I could finish asking my question, Arthur opened up a portal beneath my feet, depositing me directly above the other twin cousin. Realising instantly what his plan was, I prepared another White Dragon Claw, bringing my light-infused fist down upon the teen. My attack missed, instead striking the rock below, and shattering it in a brilliant explosion of pure white.

"Too slow, Arthur" Tenchi laughed, as he sped away using lighting to propel himself. I didn't allow the teen's speed to phase me, instead, using the large pile of rocks falling around me, I bounded after him.

"I'm not gonna let you get away!" I called out, barely managing to keep up with the Devil Slayer.

Tenchi shot me a wide, wolfish grin over his shoulder. "Really, because you seem to be just as slow as everyone else" he chided.

I shook my head. "Tch… just you wait" I muttered, as I channelled my magic power into another spell. "White Drive…" I mumbled after a moment, activating my most powerful boost. With new power, I sped along and managed to even catch up to the electrically-charged blond. "I'm _not_ as slow as everyone else" I commented casually upon reaching the teen.

Tenchi scowled. "Hmph… you wanna fight me so bad, fine. Eat this!" he barked, before releasing a large blast of purplish lightning from his palm, aiming to strike me with it as he ran along. I dodged the blow, falling back a bit.

"Ha, is that all you've got. Some Devil Slayer you are" I laughed challengingly. "Now let's see you run from this" I added, channelling another spell. "White Dragon Roar!" I shouted, releasing forth a large eruption of light that surged forth towards the blond.

"Too slow, you mis-" Tenchi began to say, as he leapt sideways, avoiding my strike with apparent ease, only to find himself instantly back to where he was stood, the attack hitting him full force and sending him spiralling into, and through, a tree.

"No, you don't" Arthur laughed, as he lowered his hands, spheres of Territory Magic fading rapidly.

"Argh… that hurt" Tenchi complained, getting up and brushing himself off.

I smirked brightly at the blond. "Looks like you _can't_ dodge all my attacks after all" I stated. Tenchi shrugged.

"Maybe, but what about your friend; doesn't look like he's doing so well against my bro" he replied, shooting me a wicked smile. At the prompt, I immediately looked over towards Natsu. The fiery pinkette was yelling something whilst delivering a number of kicks and punches that pushed the leather-clad twin back a step. Frowning I looked back toward my own opponent, however I quickly realised my mistake as a bolt of purple lightning struck me and sent me sprawling back at high speed, until I was caught by a prickly bush. "Damn…" I cursed my own stupidity.

Tenchi laughed triumphantly as he dashed over to me at high speed, lightning crackling over his knuckles as he delivered a few additional punches that made me gasp breathlessly. "Hah, if you're tricked _that_ easily, then you really shouldn't come to face us" he spat. I growled, before blocking another punch, my eyes locking with the deep-green eyes of the enemy blond.

"Don't ever use Natsu against me" I barked, as Tenchi grinned.

"Or what, you'll hit me with another stupidly weak spell?" he replied, grabbing my other wrist as I attempted to punch him back. I shook my head in response to his taunting, my eyes becoming as fiery as Natsu's.

"No, I'll fucking destroy you, you scum!" I snarled, before headbutting him. Tenchi muttered a curse as he loosened his grip on my arm enough that I was able to push him back, kicking him away. As soon as he was off of me, another projectile stuck the teen, sending him sprawling to the ground some distance away; it was his twin.

"Sting!" Natsu's voice rang out with a note of concern. "Are you alright?"

I smiled at the pinkette as he ran up to me. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was just one attack, and it didn't even hurt" I said, before looking the Fire Dragon Slayer up and down. "How about you?"

Natsu grinned brightly, jabbing a thumb at his chest. "I'm fine, he didn't hit me any more times that I hit him" he replied. I smiled.

"That's good… although you probably shouldn't let him hit you at all" I stated, looking over to the pair of groaning Devil Slayers. They both wore matching expressions of anger and pure hate.

"Damn you're…" Tenchi started.

"Annoying" Daichi finished. "However, how about we see how much of you is left after we do out most powerful combo spell" the Mountain Devil Slayer added, looking to his brother. Tenchi nodded in agreement.

"Alright" he agreed. The pair then moved to stand shoulder to shoulder, both facing us, and Arthur who was a few paces behind.

"Mountain Devil's…"

"Lightning Devils…" the pair both charged up their spells, timing perfectly in sync. It didn't take Natsu or me very long to work out what was going on, and no more than a second later we were preparing our own spells, equally in sync.

"Fire Dragon's…" he chanted.

"White Dragon's…" I parroted.

"Rage!" the twins unleashed their attack.

"Roar!" we countered.

The two sets of spells collided in an almighty mix of bright light, scorching flame, crackling lightning, and deep purple gemlike-rocks that swirled about for a moment, before exploding in a great wave of magic that swept over everyone present in the garden. Natsu glanced to me as the spells connected and fused, however much to his obvious surprise neither of us were affected by the explosion, not with the bubbles of Spatial Magic surrounding us. "You two alright?" Arthur called out from his own Territory bubble. I looked over to where he stood and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks" I said. He smiled, before clicking his fingers, the two bubbles growing and forming one large bubble. "Whoa…" I watched the move with amazement. "I've never seen a Territory this big, m'lady usually uses smaller ones" I commented in an impressed tone. Arthur laughed.

"It's only a defensive spell, and it only works thanks to Edric and Medea" he replied, before holding up two cards not unlike the tarot cards I had seen Cana use in my time in Fairy Tail. Arthur seemed to notice my vague curiosity. "Yes, unlike their usual cards, these are not playing cards, but rather they are the more usual tarot ones used for Card Magic… with their own twist of course. Actually, it's because of these that those two are as weak as they are, so long as I have these on me, their powers are dampened by a significant amount" Arthur explained this, before replacing the cards in his pocket, patting the area to emphasise their importance.

"So, they'd be even stronger without those cards?" Natsu asked. Arthur nodded.

"Yes" he confirmed, before glancing distractedly over to where his cousins where once more standing. "Ah, so you survived" he stated. Tenchi smiled cockily, folding his arms over his now bare chest, his leather jacket lost somewhere in the garden I guessed.

"Of course, we don't need some lame shield-spell to remain safe from a minor thing like an explosion" he responded.

Arthur smirked. "Let me guess, you went and hid in a hole in the ground. Why didn't you stay there and save me the trouble of continuing this bout?" he laughed.

Tenchi scowled, however Daichi evaded the gaze of his cousin. "Well… it was the safest place" he mumbled. Tenchi looked to his brother.

"Don't worry about it, Dai" he stated, before looking over towards Arthur. "However, it seems I underestimated those siblings of yours. Hmph… using spell cards to weaken our magic… intriguing" he eyed Arthur challengingly. "Although, I'm betting that they can't dampen _all_ of our power" the blond Lightning Devil Slayer smiled wickedly. Arthur frowned.

"I never said it would completely dampen your abilities, I simply said it was weakening them" he commented, before raising his hands. "Now, are you going to continuing fighting, or have you _finally_ realised the error of your ways?" he asked the two.

Tenchi laughed. "You misunderstood, I wasn't saying that it would completely negate our abilities" the blond mused, before looking to his brother, "Just that we might have to… power-up, if we wanna overcome it" Tenchi smirked. Daichi smiled too.

"Oh…" he finally caught onto his twin's scheme. Arthur went wide eyed, as I looked to him for answers.

"Damn…" he cursed under his breath.

"What's going on?" I asked the Territory Mage.

"What's going on, Dumb Dragon" Tenchi answered with a snide tone, "Is that as of this moment, this fight is _over_ "

I frowned, however before I could ask a follow-up to question a huge rush of magical energy emitted from the pair of Devil Slayers. "I think it's time we got _really serious_ " Daichi said.

Natsu growled lowly beside me. "That's…" he muttered.

Arthur nodded in agreement. "What? What is it?" I asked the pair.

Arthur looked to me with a deathly serious expression. "It's their demonic powers" he replied. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, it's… a Take-Over" he stated edgily, "Just like Mira's" he added with a slight hint of fear. _Oh… this is gonna be a problem_ I thought to myself as Tenchi and Daichi changed.

"Fuck…" I cursed.

/

 **Inner Garden, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

The smell of magic was nearly overwhelming. It was so bad that I couldn't even get a small whiff of Sting's scent, and he was standing right next to me. I growled lowly. _This is the same Magic as Mira's but… it's different… it's stronger than her usual spell… maybe as strong as Sitri…_ I noted silently.

Sting looked around confusedly between me and Arthur, searching for answers. "What, what is it?" he asked in a confused tone. I growled angrily at the magic the twins were using.

"It's their demonic powers" Arthur answered Sting's question. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it's a Take-Over" I concurred. "Just like Mira's" I couldn't manage to quite keep the fear from my voice. Sting swore, before reaching out and touching my arm. I glanced over to him, and saw him smile. I smiled back, before my eyes were drawn back to the twins.

Lightning crackled around Tenchi, a bright, blinding glow that engulfed his whole, half-naked form. Beside him, a swirling twister of dust and earth engulfed Daichi's form until he was completely undistinguishable. The spell only took a few seconds; however, it was a the most anxious moment for both Sting, Arthur, and I.

With a final explosion of energy, both twins were released from the clutches of their transformation as changed beings. Unlike Mirajane, the two were quite different to what I was expecting, with each one of them resembling a particular animal. Tenchi, wearing a metallic, wolf-like guise that covered his whole head, his mouth visible in the open jaws of the beast, had grown more muscular, and now had white fur bristling down his forearms, a gold stripe running all the way from his neck to his hands that were still concealed within those metallic gauntlets. His teeth, or those that were visible, were pointed, and his legs bulged with new musculature beneath the confines of his trousers. "Behold, my demonic glory;" he bellowed in a much deeper voice to his earlier human one, "The Lightning Beast, Raiju".

Daichi then stood forward. Unlike his brother, he had no obvious muscle-gain, instead he had grown slimmer. His face was covered by a metallic mask too, although his was in the shape of a weasel, and left none of his real face visible. He also had gained some fur, as I could see it poking out from the edges of where his clothes met his once leather gloves. These too had changed into metallic ones, similar to Tenchi's, although they still left his finger-tips exposed. Attached to top of the gloves on each of Daichi's hands were curved blades that measured at least the length of my forearm. I raised an eyebrow at these fearsome weapons, before my eyes locked onto a final change that revealed itself as Daichi stepped forwards one step; he had grown a large, bristly tail, that appeared to be made of spines as sharp as the blades on his hands. "This is my Demonic Take-Over; the mighty Kama Itachi" Daichi's voice was heavily muffled by his mask, however even I could tell that like Tenchi's, it too had changed somewhat. _Damn, they look strong… and kinda cool…_ I thought to myself as I eyed up the pair together.

Tenchi seemed to notice my gaze, as he gave me a wolfish grin. "Are you fearful now, Dragon Slayer?" he asked in a pompous tone. I smirked, before shaking my head vigorously.

"Hell no, I'm just wondering which one of ya I wanna take on more" I replied cockily.

Tenchi laughed, folding his arms over his bare chest. "That won't matter, in these forms one of us can easily do away with all five of you" he boasted, pointing at us with a challenging smirk.

Arthur frowned. "I fail to see how you sacrificing your humanity makes you strong, perhaps it is by gaining strength from stupidity?" the Territory Mage chuckled, narrowing his eyes daringly at the pair.

"Tch… I've had enough of your damned smirk" Daichi commented angrily. "Can we just dispense with this mindless chatter, and fight, Tai?" he added, turning his masked face towards his brother. Taichi smiled, before nodding.

"Yes, I agree Dai, how about we _show_ 'em how strong we really are?" he replied. Daichi nodded, before turning back towards us, his weaponised gloves poised ready to strike. I prepared myself to evade; no way was I going to be able to block those blades.

Sting, I noticed, did the same. Tenchi noticed our stances, and muttered something to his brother, before the pair set into motion.

Tenchi's form crackled with lightning as he shot up into the sky, his demonic twin crouching low. "Let's see how you fare against our ultimate technique; the Demons of Heaven and Earth" he bellowed from his position above. I smiled cockily.

"I've already fought guys like you with stupid ground-air tactics, they won't work!" I declared. Tenchi smiled again, as lightning formed a bright carpet beneath him, allowing him to quite literally stand in mid-air. "We shall see" he replied, before nodding towards his brother.

At that the fight truly began. However, neither Sting nor I really knew just what we had gotten ourselves into.

/

Tenchi fired bolts of red lightning from his fingertips, great arcs of crimson that struck at the position Sting and I had been standing in moments before. Although the White Dragon Slayer and I hadn't really had much time to practice fighting together, our bond, and our understanding of each other's fighting style made us mostly suited to this two-on-three combat. Arthur withdrew to the backline, supporting Sting and me with Territory from afar, whilst we rushed forward, aiming to tackle Daichi first, before taking out Tenchi.

Unfortunately, this was easier said than done. As soon as we both neared, I prepared a hasty Fire Dragon Roar to cover the blond, whilst he activated White Drive, so he could go up close and personal to the weasel-like demon twin. Both spells failed however, as we were driven back by the instantaneous eruption of dust and earth that exploded outwards from beneath Daichi's feet. "Behold, the special power of the Kama Itachi; the Dust Storm" he laughed, from somewhere within the blinding mist. Sting and I both pulled back, going shoulder to shoulder as we escaped the attack.

"Argh… I can't see him" Sting complained. I growled.

"I can't even smell him, all I can smell is that fucking dust" I added.

"Be careful, Daichi's an expert at fighting in that cloud, don't rush in or get caught in it" Arthur called out to us, before summoning up two blue portals that intercepted and seemingly absorbed two more crimson lightning bolts headed our way. "Hah, I've saved this spell for when we really needed it, but I guess that'll be now… or never" Arthur commented, before conjuring up two purple shimmering portals, out of which shot the same two red lightning bolts that he had just absorbed. "You Slayer's can't absorb your own attacks, and that counts for demons too" Arthur laughed as the wolf-like demonic twin dodged sideways, lightning carpet moving to catch him before he fell.

"What an… tch… irritating spell" he muttered angrily. "However how many attacks can you absorb?" he added with a wicked smirk.

Arthur grinned back. "Try me" he replied cockily.

I went wide-eyed as I saw Arthur take Tenchi's own attack and turn it against him. "How did you do that?" I barked in surprise. Arthur smiled, as he conjured up three more blue portals to absorb the Lightning Demon's follow-up attack.

"It's a little complicated, and I'm not gonna go into it right now. You two deal with Daichi, whilst I keep him off your backs. Even if you can beat him, just keep fighting, I know that you two have the magic power to _outlast_ him" Arthur stated. Sting and I looked to one another, before smiling and nodding in understanding.

"Alright" we both said in unison, turning to face the dust cloud that Daichi was still hiding in.

"Let's blow this guy away, Sting!" I said. Sting nodded, before taking my hand.

"On three… one…" he started counting.

"Two…" I continued.

"Three!"

"White Dragon Roar!" he bellowed.

"Fire Dragon Roar!" I shouted in unison. Two blasts of flame and light shot forth, entering the dust storm, mixing and swirling as they swept through the cloud.

"It's useless, my Dust Storm will not be dispersed so easily, and so long as I am within it, you cannot hit me!" Daichi called out from his hiding place.

"Oh, ya think!" I barked back. "Come on Sting, give it more power" I added. Sting smiled, before increasing his magic output, the two attacks getting stronger, consuming an even wider area of garden with radiant light and searing flame. After a few moments of constant Roaring, we both shut off our attacks, the dwindling magic leaving a large hole in the dust cloud that quickly closed over as the cloud reformed.

"What the…" I growled in frustration.

Once more Daichi's voice played out from the cloud. "I told you it was useless, this is my power, the power of a demon. No simple spell will get rid of it that easily" he laughed.

I looked to Sting. "What should we do now?" I asked him. Sting shrugged, before smiling.

"I guess we've got no choice, we need to take him on directly" the White Dragon Slayer stated, "We'll both have to go into that smog, although we _have_ to make sure we don't get separated" he added. I nodded in understanding, before holding out my hand for the blond to take.

He did so happily, interlacing our fingers so we couldn't be separated so easily. Or so we thought.

With on final glance at Arthur, who seemed to be successfully keeping Tenchi busy, we both entered the dust cover, in which Daichi hid. "Coming to get me, are you?" his voice rang out from somewhere within the swirling cloud; it was impossible to tell its source direction. I smiled.

"Yeah, we _both are_ " I shouted back daringly, hoping that I might be able to tempt the demon into revealing himself. Daichi laughed, a hollow sound that rippled across the whole area, making it impossible to tell where he had concealed himself.

"Well, then, I invite you to try" he chuckled darkly. Undeterred by his words I charged head first, deeper into the cloud. Sting made a protesting noise, as he didn't seem to want to go in any further, however I didn't give him a choice.

"Natsu, wait a minute. This might be… a bad idea if we go in too far" he stated sharply, pulling on my arm to get me to stop. I frowned at the blond.

"But we won't find him unless we keep moving. He can't keep hiding forever" I said. Sting nodded.

"I know but… this kinda feels like it might be a…" the White Dragon paused, as he seemed to sense a shift in the cloud.

"A trap?" Daichi said, as his silhouette became visible in the ever-present dust clouds. Sting narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah" he agreed. The earth-based Demon laughed, before shrugging.

"Well you're not wrong, it wasn't a bad idea to hold hands, however… here is where I get serious, lover boys" he replied, before reaching down and touching the ground. Almost immediately a huge wall of earth and rock exploded forth from the ground around us, cutting Sting and me off from each other as we each dived to opposite sides in order to avoid getting struck.

Feeling Sting's hand let go of mine, I cursed, looking up at the monolithic wall, on the other side of which I knew the White Dragon was located. "Fuck… maybe I could break through?" I muttered to myself.

Suddenly a slight shift in the smog around me alerted me to another presence. Daichi came dashing out of the dust, blades primed to strike me. With another curse, I jumped up against the wall, kicking off of it to avoid the attack. "Oh, you're good" Daichi praised me sarcastically. I smirked.

"You ain't gonna be getting me that easily" I replied, "Now remove this wall and gimme Sting back" I added with a much more demanding tone of voice. Daichi shook his head.

"No. I'm gonna take care of you, then I'm gonna deal with that annoying blond" he answered. I frowned.

"I'm not gonna let you hurt one frickin' hair on Sting, this is where I beat you" I snapped sharply. Daichi laughed.

"No, you won't, Fire Dragon Slayer. I've already seen your moves, that's why I'm gonna take you out first. Unlike the other one, you aren't a threat, _he_ ," Daichi jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to where the wall was "at least, managed to keep up with Tenchi, even though he isn't a lightning user. Therefore… he must be stronger than you" Daichi's voice almost made it sound like he was looking forward to taking on a stronger opponent. I gritted my teeth in anger.

"You think I'm _weaker_ than Sting… I've beaten him on so many occasions… you know what, that's fucking it! I'm gonna beat you senseless!" I snarled, before rushing forwards, hands aflame. Daichi laughed, before dodging my incoming blow at lightning speed.

"You'll never be able to hit me at that slow pace of yours, nothing can move faster than a weasel in its home turf" Daichi commented, before raising his hands in a fighting stance. "Although… perhaps you may make for minor amusement before the main event" he added. I shook my head.

"I'm not some guy that you can have little bit of fun fighting; I'm a _Dragon_ _Slayer_ … and I'm also the guy who is gonna beat you down into the ground, before finding Sting again" I stated, grinning confidently "So, let's go!" I added in a challenging tone.

At that, I began clashing with Daichi once again.

/

 **Inner Garden (Dust Cloud), Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

I looked up in anger at the towering stone wall that formed the gap between Natsu and myself. "Damn it…" I cursed as I listened carefully, hoping to catch at least a whisper of the pinkette's voice.

I was rewarded with a great bellow. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu's voice breached the thick wall of earth and rock.

I allowed myself a slight smile of contentment, before I set about making my own move. "The wall seems to spread well beyond the length of the cloud…" I mumbled to myself as I paced along one length of the construct. "Maybe I can bash my way through?" I thought aloud, before shaking my head at the idea. _If I do that I might hit Natsu… or the whole thing might come crashing down on top of him…_ I reprimanded myself for the idea.

With a slight grunt of annoyance, I looked up the seemingly monolithic wall. "Well if I can't go around or through it… guess I'll try up" I said, before channelling my magic around myself. With brilliant white scales forming over my skin I placed a little distance between myself and the earthen wall. Then I took my run up, and with a magic-powered leap I raced up along the surface.

About half-way (or at least by my estimate) I felt the pull of gravity beginning to force me downward once more. "I'm not gonna fall…" I grumbled, reaching out for the wall with both hands. My fingers imbedded themselves in the rock, and with another heave I pushed myself continually up the wall, through the smothering cloud of dust, right to the top. "Hah… so much for this wall splitting us up" I heaved triumphantly, as I pulled myself up to the rocky parapet at the very top of the great wall. Looking down, I noticed the cloud of dust and debris only seemed to reach about four-fifths up the length of the wall, the very top remaining just above the ever-flowing miasma. I narrowed my eyes upon the cloud, looking intently for a few minutes, before I noticed what I was looking for; the bursts of red signalling a Fire Dragon was fighting his hardest. "Don't worry Natsu… just gimme a minute" I said, more to myself than for the benefit of anyone else.

Unfortunately, I was not alone in my lofty position. "So, my bro is busy fighting the other one, huh" a voice said from somewhere nearby. I looked to my left, immediately locking eyes with the other twin, clad in his metallic-and-leather, fur-covered Demon Form.

I narrowed my eyes at Tenchi, an angry expression immediately twisting my face. "You…" I growled lowly. Tenchi laughed.

"Hi, again. Did my bro make that wall to split you and your boyfriend up?" he asked. I frowned.

"Well, you would know what he was up to better than me" I responded, "Now are you gonna fight me, or are you gonna let me get on with what I wanted to do?" I added with a challenging tone. Tenchi smiled.

"Now now, no need to be impatient, we could-" Tenchi was cut off mid-sentence as a portal of glimmering white opened up near him, a beam of energy spewing forth almost as soon as it appeared. He had to drop quite an altitude before his carpet of lightning caught him.

"Get on and help Natsu, Sting" Arthur stated as he appeared in a bubble of Territory right beside me. I smiled at him.

"Thanks" I said, before looking back down at the cloud, once more looking for the sparks and bursts that signalled the presence of the Fire Dragon Slayer. Once I found them, I nodded to Arthur. "Alright, here goes" I said aloud, before jumping down into the cloud.

I felt the rush of air around me for a few moments, before the ground, with dust clinging to it like a permanent fog, came up to meet me. I landed expertly, barely losing any momentum, before I heard the loud crash of metal striking stone. _That's Daichi's claws_ I thought to myself, identifying the direction of the source. _I'm only gonna get one chance at this…_

With all my power coursing through my body, and with White Drive Active, I rushed forwards towards where Natsu and the Earth Demon were battling it out.

/

Natsu was in a precarious position, with his back to the solid wall, and with great spikes of stone littering the battlefield either side of him. "Are you done yet, Dragon Slayer?" Daichi laughed, his weasel-like mask smothering his voice somewhat.

Natsu smirked cockily. "Hell no… I ain't even close to done yet" he replied, both fists exploding into bright crimson flames. I knew what was coming; Natsu charged forward, both hands striking at his opponent in a perfectly executed Fire Dragon Wing Attack. This was followed up by a barrage of kicks and punches that forced Daichi back three steps as he moved to block or dodge each blow. _It's always so frickin' amazing to watch Natsu fight_ I noted to myself, before I began preparing for my sneak-attack. _Once Natsu's out of range I'll use it… he'll probably run out of attacks in a couple of minutes…_ I added mentally, as I mapped out what my next actions were going to be. Sure enough, after two final attacks, a kick that became a Fire Dragon Talon and a punch, Natsu stopped to catch his breath. Daichi, lowing his arms as he recognised his opponent's fatigue, smirked cockily.

"It seems that your stamina has finally run dry" he chided. Natsu gritted his teeth.

"I'm alright, this isn't anything" he panted in reply. I shook my head dismissively at the pinkette from the safety of my hiding place. _So stubborn…_

Daichi laughed. "Is that so, well, not that it matters, because now it's _my_ turn" he stated, before raising his arms up. That was the cue I was waiting for. Channelling my power into my hands I rushed forward, propelled even faster by my active White Drive. "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art… Holy… Nova!" I bellowed as I surged towards the Demonic teen at full speed, light enveloping my right fist as I brought it in to strike.

Daichi went wide eyed as he noticed my approach, my fist barely two centimetres from touching him. Then he disappeared. I gasped in surprise, as I overbalanced, toppling forward, my attacking fizzling out as my concentration shattered momentarily. "What the-" I cursed, as I moved to catch myself, turning. Natsu gave me a surprised look, before gesturing.

"Behind you!" he cried out. I swerved sideways, as the sharp blades of the demon-teen slashed where I was standing.

"Whoa, that was close…" I breathed, as Natsu came up beside me. Daichi scowled, before diving back into the concealment of the smog.

"Damn it… you're annoyingly quick… you even forced me to go at full speed" the teen commented from his hiding place. Natsu and I stood back-to-back, prepared, this time, for another of the weasel's sneak attacks. I narrowed my eyes upon the mist, reaching out to our opponent with my voice.

"So, you can go pretty fast then, fast enough to dodge an attack when it's almost point blank?" I asked the cloud.

Daichi's hollow laugh sounded out. "Don't be so surprised, I said it to the Fire Dragon Slayer, and I'll say it to you; _nothing_ is faster than a weasel in its home turf" Daichi called out, voice dripping with self-confidence.

I smirked upon hearing this information, an idea forming in my mind. _So that's why he doesn't leave the dust cloud…_ Looking to Natsu I was met with a bright smile, and even brighter eyes. "What's up Sting?" the pinkette asked me, obviously taking note of my own expression. I chuckled, before leaning in close.

"Do you remember how we defeated that other guy outside the mansion?" I asked Natsu. The pinkette nodded, a vaguely confused expression touching his face as he tried to piece together what I was thinking.

"Yeah…" he mumbled.

I smiled brightly. "We need to do that… just _bigger_ " I whispered to the other Dragon Slayer. Natsu's eyes glittered at the notion of even greater overkill than the attack we used earlier.

"Bigger? Like… both of us together, using more power?" he asked me, a little excitedly. I nodded, before gesturing subtly over toward the earthen wall.

"Yeah, so come on… we'll stand with our backs to that wall and then on the count of three use the biggest Roar you can manage" I instructed the pinkette firmly, putting my most 'guild-masterly' tone on. Natsu grinned at me.

"Alright… one…" he began counting, as we got into position.

"Two…" I continued, taking the pinkette's hand for reassurance as we stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our backs to Daichi's wall. _This better work…_

"Three!" we both finished in unison, before unleashing the largest Roar-attacks we could manage. "Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu spewed forth a vast carpet of crimson, orange, and yellow-gold flames that surged forth in all directions.

"White Dragon Roar!" I added my own attack of pure white radiance, that blasted forth with Natsu's in all directions in front of us.

"It's useless" Daichi called out to us. "You've already seen that your Roars can't hit me in here, even with wider range you're still way too weak to get me" he added mockingly. Natsu growled from the back of his throat, however I smiled, squeezing his hand.

Natsu then smiled back at me. With more willpower, we forced ourselves to use as much magic power as we could, until the two roar attacks fused into an even bigger attack; one never seen before.

"That's impossible…" Diachi called out in surprise, as the flames grew hotter, turning a brilliant white, empowered with light to the point where it was blinging. "That's… even Tenchi and me can't do a Unison Raid… it's just not-" Daichi's voice cut off. Moments later, a strangled cry was heard from somewhere within the dust, a loud scream that was filled with many different profanities. Natsu and I both smiled. _It's working…_ I thought as we continued Roaring for as long as we could. The longer we persisted the weaker the dust cloud seemed to become. Soon, we could see the rest of the garden again, including Arthur, who looked at us with a look of mild annoyance as he stood within his own defensive Territory, his siblings in their own.

"I see you found a way to force him out of that annoying cover of his" the blond Territory Mage muttered. We both smiled as we noticed Daichi mangled in a heap in a new hole in the mansion wall.

"Ugh… you…" he groaned.

Up above Tenchi glared at us. "You… damned… fucking… YOU WILL PAY!" he roared.

/

 **Inner Garden (Outside the Dust Cloud), Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Arthur stood upon the stone wall, high above both the garden, and the swirling, choking cloud of dust. "Hmm… attack from above?" he muttered to himself as he observed Sting's descent.

Tenchi growled at him from atop his carpet of lightning. "Those attacks of yours are getting annoying… I think I'm going to finish you off now, so that I can rain more destruction down on that annoying pair my brother is fighting" the Lightning Demon smirked wolfishly beneath his helm. Arthur smirked back at his opponent.

"I can't wait to knock you off that cloud and send you right back to the earth, on your butt" Arthur snapped back venomously, raising his arms in preparation to attack. Tenchi smiled more wickedly, as he rose higher into the air.

"Well then, let's see if you can get me all the way up here" he hollered back, before holding his arms out in front of him. With two snaps of his fingers, one for each hand, twin bolts of red lightning rained down from the carpet beneath him. Arthur raised his hand above himself, conjuring two portals, one blue, which intercepted the bolts and absorbed them, and then one purple which brought them both raining back down upon Tenchi from high above.

The Lightning Demon was prepared for this counter, though, and with one swift movement, he dodged out of the way, the lightning bolts once more raining down upon Arthur's position. With a curse, Arthur leapt off of his perch upon the rocky wall Daichi had made, and using Territory, he appeared safely upon the ground, nearer his siblings once again. The lightning struck the rock, causing some of it to shatter and tumble down the side where Sting had just climbed up, away from the battling Dragon Slayers and Demon, luckily. "Tch…" Arthur cursed his poor defence, as he was forced off of the only position high enough to allow him to reach Tenchi with ease. The Lightning Demon, laughing from above, rained down several more lightning bolts; unfortunately, from his newer, even loftier position, his aim was slightly off and a number of them harmlessly struck the ground around Arthur. The few that did stream down close towards the Spatial Mage were harmlessly absorbed and redirected using his blue-purple portal method.

"It seems being higher up has its disadvantages for you, why don't you come closer to me, so you've got a better shot?" Arthur called up in his loudest voice. Tenchi shook his head.

"You mean come closer, so you can reach me with those damned laser-portals of yours. I'm not going to be fooled, I can still hit you from here" Tenchi bellowed back. Arthur sighed, before summoning up a new blue portal above himself, as well as another above where Edric and Medea lay. _This is going nowhere… we need to figure something out otherwise I might not be in position when Thomas is finished…_ Arthur thought to himself. Just as the Territory Mage considered giving up completely on defence, and instead opting to teleport up to the flying demon, a huge explosive sound rippled across the garden, emanating from the dust cloud near its centre. "What the-" Arthur barely had time to register what was happening, before he had to throw up all he could in defence of himself, and his siblings, as a massive swathe of fire engulfed the garden around him. _Natsu…_ he silently both cursed and praised the Dragon Slayer in equal measure. Not more than a second later, joining the fire, bright light flowed over the garden, striking walls, plants, and Territory barriers alike. _Sting too…_

The flames and light grew in intensity, and as Arthur watched the display through half-lidded eyes, he noticed a figure speed past him, propelled by some invisible force. "Ah… so they intended to defeat him by sheer force and power…" Arthur mumbled to himself as he continued raising his barrier. Even though the Territory protected him, and his siblings, from harm, Arthur could still feel the overwhelming heat, and feel the mass of force that threatened to topple his barrier at any moment. "Not yet…" he breathed as he made sure to keep everyone safe from harm.

With a momentary fleeting thought, Arthur wondered if the attack would reach high enough to hit Tenchi as well, however he didn't have much time to ponder as no sooner had the attack began, it ended.

Arthur maintained his barrier for a few more minutes, lest some stray lightning struck him in a moment of weakness or distraction, watching the flames and light dwindle. Carefully opening his eyes back to their fullest, the blond Spatial Mage surveyed the chaos and destruction that now swept the once beautiful and tranquil garden. "Ah… such a shame…" he sighed slightly to himself, before his eyes wandered over to the fading dust cloud in the centre of everything, out of which stepped the two Dragon Slayers, each looking as bedraggled as the other.

"I see you found a way to force him out of that annoying cover of his" Arthur said to the pair as they approached him. Natsu smiled, rubbing the back of his head, however before he could speak, a loud groaning noise sounded behind Arthur. The blond turned rapidly, fearing that Edric or Medea had been harmed, before his face settled. It was only Daichi, buried in amongst some rubble in _another_ hole in the mansion wall.

Up above Tenchi, with eyes of fury, cursed, the lightning on his carpet becoming brighter and more prickly with every passing curse. "You… damned… fucking…" Arthur largely ignored the comments for a moment, as Sting came up to him.

"We… er… had to give everything we had taking him on… but we can still fight" the White Dragon's voice did not lose even a drop of confidence. Arthur nodded, his barrier receding, as he observed the Lightning Demon overhead. "If you're quite done, you should notice that your brother has been defeated" Arthur called up, his voice sounding so much like a parent scolding a child that it took both Sting and Natsu by surprise. They grinned at each other, as Tenchi scowled.

"Yeah, and now I've got nothing to stop me letting loose" he replied. Arthur rolled his eyes, shrugging. _It can't be long now… just need to keep him busy for a few more minutes…_

"Well, it's not like you couldn't before, just that you feared for your dear twin brother" the blond said, in a mildly sarcastic tone, before raising an eyebrow. "However, if you do fire at me, I can guarantee you at least one of those attacks is going to hit your brother, what with my _special_ technique" Arthur emphasised his threat by summoning up another blue portal above himself, and a matching purple portal that was aimed for Daichi.

"You wouldn't have a chance to do that, if I vaporise you and that stupid portal" Tenchi snarled. Sting and Natsu both moved to stand with Arthur, their bodies primed and ready. Arthur gave momentary glances at the pair.

" _If I teleport you to the wall, do you think you could do another one of those… big attacks, like that other one, and knock him down?_ " Arthur whispered to the pair carefully, putting all of his Father's stealth training to good use and disguising the fact he was talking to them. Sting looked to Natsu, who nodded vigorously.

"I can still get him" the pinkette confirmed. Sting smiled, before nodding towards Arthur. The blond smirked, before a bellowing noise overhead earned his attention.

"Whatever you three are plotting, I will not allow it any more. I'm finished talking" with that Tenchi raised his arms above his head. Arthur immediately noticed what stance he was taking, and prepared himself.

"Not that attack again… I'm surprised he can use Devil Slayer Magic and Satan Soul at the same time… unless it's a different attack" Arthur muttered hurriedly to himself, before preparing a red portal for Natsu and Sting. Just as the pair of Dragon Slayers were about to step through the gate, the ground beneath them exploded upwards, forming two earthen cages.

"I'm not gonna let you dodge Ten's attack," Daichi spluttered, as he crouched on a patch of scorched grass just outside of the hole in which he had been flung. "Or you Arthur" he added, as another cage moved up to grab Arthur. The blond managed to dodge the restraint at the last moment, his red shimmering portal fading before him. Cursing, he turned to try and summon a white portal, intending on taking Daichi out, before absorbing as much of whatever attack Tenchi was sending their way as he could.

"Argh… I'm not gonna go down like this!" Natsu barked from within the cage, intense flames forming around his person as he tried to break free. Sting nodded at his partner, before coming to the small gap in between the stony bars of the cage. "Natsu, aim another roar at my cage and I'll do the same to yours, we might be able to break out of them that way and free each other" the White Dragon said. Natsu nodded.

"Okay… but… I don't wanna hurt you" he called out. Sting nodded, before grinning.

"When have your attacks ever hurt me?" he asked. Natsu smirked.

"Well-"

"Don't answer that" Sting interrupted the pinkette, "Just do it. We don't have much time" he said, this time with a more commanding, and urgent tone.

Suddenly, from above, Tenchi's voice boomed loud and clear. "Too late, now's the time you all turn to dust. Hellfire could never achieve this kind of power; taste the force of my Wicked Maelstrom!" Arthur looked up to see dark clouds loom above, darker than he had ever seen clouds turn. They twisted and broiled overhead, a deep ebony that blotted out the moon, stars, and covered such a large area, Arthur would not be surprised if it reached over all the Zollzero lands. Then they began crackling with lightning, not just the red lightning that he had seen before, but lightning that was both icy blue, and sickly green. The lightning ran along the twisting clouds, forming a bright sphere in the centre that crackled with ominous violet.

A quiet 'oh…' was all the Territory Mage could manage before the battle was over.

Not long after the deciding blow had been dealt, the clouds dispersed, and for a moment, perhaps the longest moment that long, long night, everything was quiet.

 **End of Chapter 32**

 **Final Chapter; Family and (Boy-)Friends**

 _ **Author's note; I just wanted to give everyone a great big thank-you for reading this fic, and I hope you all have enjoyed reading this story so far. Now let's see what happens in the final chapter. ;)**_


	33. Chapter 33 Family and (Boy-)Friends

**Final Chapter 33 – Family and (Boy-)Friends**

 **Zollzero Mansion Inner Garden, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

Sting was desperately using what little magic power remained within himself to prepare a Dragon Roar to bust himself out of the earthen cage in which he was imprisoned. Likewise, I was preparing my own roar attack for just that same purpose. Outside the cage a strong scent of magic pervaded the air, its origin somewhere high above, out of my line of sight thanks to the thick rocky roof that stood above me. _What the fuck is Tenchi doing?_ I thought with mild concern. _Whatever the attack is, it's_ big _… I mean, the whole fucking place has gone even darker like it's… some sort of… eclipse…_ a sudden thought hit my brain like a magic vehicle. _But then those flashes of light_ **…** _A storm…_

"Sting we gotta hurry" I warned the blond in his adjacent cage. The White Dragon Slayer shot me a 'I already knew that' look, however I didn't bother to bite back at him for it; the pressure of powerful magic, and the increasing smell of danger, were strong enough motivators to make me shut up and focus.

Just as I was about ready to carefully fire off a Fire Dragon Roar, however, a large rumbling sounded overhead. "Come on, Fire Dragon's R-"

"Too late, now's the time you all turn to dust. Hellfire could never achieve this kind of power; taste the force of my Wicked Maelstrom!" Tenchi's voice boomed loudly, cutting me off.

"Fuck!" I cursed, "Fire Dragon's Roar" I barked rapidly, firing off a blast of heat that struck at the walls of the prison, blasting a hole in the wall just as a bright, ominous, violet light consumed the garden, and all of us in it. "Agh… Sting…" I called out, rather pathetically, as I anticipated a sudden burning sensation, or perhaps at least a painful electrocution, to strike at my body. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, then I waited for a moment.

Then another.

For as long as I waited, no attack came, in fact I felt no pain whatsoever. Opening my eyes, I was greeted by a broadly grinning blond. "Am I dead?" I asked Sting. The White Dragon snorted with laughter, before shaking his head.

"No… or at least, if we both are, we're in a pretty weird heaven" he replied. I furrowed my brow; however, Sting anticipated my next inquiry, and cut me off before I could ask it, taking my hand. "Just come out here, something's up" he stated in a slightly commanding tone. I followed his instructions, thoroughly confused now as to what was going on.

Outside the cage, Arthur was standing with a bright smirk on his face, looking the happiest he had all that night. "What's going on?" I asked the Territory Mage upon meeting his gaze. Arthur laughed loudly. "Where's Tenchi?" I added a minute later, after noticing the lack of Lightning Demon floating about in the sky.

Sting frowned, before sniffing at the air. "I can still smell him" the blond stated. I confirmed this for myself, before nodding in agreement.

Arthur looked between us for a moment, before chuckling. "Thomas did it!" he cheered, "He's ensured our victory!"

"Did someone say my name?" Thomas appeared through one of the holes that lead back into the mansion. He almost stepped on Daichi in the process. "Whoah…" the Archive user stated as he noticed at the last moment the demon's presence. My eyes locked onto the Earth Demon instantly, as I prepared for a fight. Sting seemed to notice my sudden tenseness and squeezed my hand to get me to look at him.

"Look, stupid Fire Dragon" he said in a low voice, as Arthur went to greet Thomas.

I flicked my gaze to the blond. "Look at what?" I asked him. Sting sighed.

"He's not a demon anymore, so you don't need to be so high strung" he stated in an exasperated tone. I took another glance at Daichi in surprise upon hearing this; however, I quickly noticed that both his bladed gauntlets and his spiny tail were gone. His mask lay somewhere in the rubble, cracked, but recognisable. "So… does that mean we win?" I asked Sting. The White Dragon Slayer pouted in thought for a moment, before shrugging.

"We'll have to see what Arthur says, I guess, since he _was_ the client for this job" Sting stated after a brief pause.

As he said this, a loud groan emanated from Daichi. "What the… hell… what the hell did you do… to us?" the blond Devil Slayer shifted his head, so he was looking in the rough direction of both Arthur and Thomas. It seemed to be very painful for him to move even that small amount.

Arthur's smiled grew broader upon seeing the suffering of his cousin. "Thomas beat you, and your twin" he confirmed.

Daichi frowned. "But… how? When?" he was obviously just as confused as Sting and I were about the whole thing. Thomas shrugged, however he was too busy tending to Edric and Medea, both of whom seemed to have lost consciousness, to face his enemy. _Wonder when Edric passed out?_ I thought suddenly.

"I used Archive to forcibly access the Ethernano in your body, then I essentially froze it. Without the ability to project Ethernano, you can't cast any Magic spells, so you now can't fight back. Oh, and I had your bodies freeze up too with a quick paralysis command. It took a while to prepare so Arthur and the others had to stall you" Thomas explained briefly, in his usual flat tone.

Arthur's brow furrowed at hearing this. "It was a pretty close call though" he admitted, "One or two more seconds and Tenchi might've been able to fire off that attack of his before we froze you guys up" the Territory Mage shuddered when he thought about that less favourable possibility.

As a quiet rose up over our group, Sting and I processed this information. "So… have we won?" I asked after a moment. Arthur laughed again, before shooting me a smile.

"Yes, you've done your part splendidly Natsu, and we've defeated our cousins" Arthur confirmed.

"We do need to figure out where Tenchi fell though" Thomas chirped up from his position beside his twin and sister. Archive screens fluttered about in the air rapidly, as he seemed to be processing thousands of pieces of information a second, all about the two unconscious sibling's conditions. "These two will be fine though" Thomas added after a moment.

Arthur gave an audible sigh of relief. "That's good…" he stated. Thomas looked over to the eldest brother, I could smell the joint relief in their scents. But there was still another emotion lurking in there too.

"Should we go and get the others?" Sting asked after a moment, obviously unsure of what to do now that we had finished battling the twin cousins of the Zollzero.

Arthur nodded. "You can, although… Thomas, do you know where Tenchi is?" the Territory user shot his younger brother a look. Thomas nodded.

"It seems like he landed on the third-floor balcony, over there" he made a pointing gesture to another area on the opposite side of the garden, behind where the remains of Daichi's wall stood. Sting looked to me immediately.

"We'll go get him, and make sure he's secured" he stated. I made a move to protest; I wanted to go and see if the others were okay. Sting, however, just dragged me along by the hand.

"Sting…" I complained.

Sting turned to me. "It's not over" he stated. I frowned at the White Dragon Slayer, seeking meaning in his words, however as we both headed away from Arthur, my Dragon Slayer hearing caught a faint whisper of conversation between Thomas and Arthur,

"I'll deal with him" Arthur said, "If it comes down to it, I can take him on" Suddenly I realised why Sting was in such a hurry to leave.

After all, the Patriarch of the Zollzero family, Arthur and the other's father, was still there in the garden.

As we both walked away in search of Tenchi, our Dragon Slayer noses carefully seeking him out by scent in the early morning twilight, I couldn't help one question filling my mind. I knew that Sting was thinking it as well; _What, exactly, was Arthur going to do when he 'dealt with' his father?_

/

 **Zollzero Mansion Inner Garden, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **General Perspective**

Everyone was on edge as Natsu and Sting clambered down the steps that lead from the large mansion at the top of the slope, to the smaller building near the gate. The pair wore quite tired expressions, as was to be expected of them, however their smiles easily settled any doubts about what had gone on in the fight with the cousins.

Minerva and Laxus greeted the pair as they entered, the small contingent of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth wizards all crowding around some few steps behind them. "So how did it go, Sting?" Minerva asked.

The blonde smiled at her. "We won!" he cheered happily. The Territory Mage smiled upon hearing the news.

"As we should expect" she replied. Beside Minerva, Laxus smirked.

"So, we can rest easy now?" he asked. Natsu shrugged.

"Yeah" he answered, before looking to Sting, "However… Edric and Medea are both unconscious, although Thomas says they're fine, and both Rogue and Juvia got stabbed" he added, a little more solemnly. Minerva looked a little worriedly towards Sting upon hearing this new information, however the White Dragon Slayer held up his hands to silence any comments.

"He's fine, Wendy is tending to him, and Juvia is already up and about. We've just come from where Lucy and Wendy are looking after them. Erza, Gray, and Haruki are patrolling the mansion to deal with any stragglers. It's just Kenji that is looking a bit worse-for-wear, although he keeps insisting on going and seeing Arthur" Sting informed them all, settling any new concerns with one deft moment. Minerva nodded in understanding.

"Alright, I'll see to getting them brought back down here. That way we can get them back to the guilds more easily" she stated. Sting smiled.

"That's fine. I'd leave Arthur and Thomas for a while, though… they've got stuff they need to take care of before they come back with us. Arthur did tell Natsu and me to start getting everyone ready to go, so if anyone wants to head back to their guild they can. They job's pretty much finished now" Sting stated, before looking to Natsu. "Also, I'm pretty tired after all the fighting, so I'm just gonna rest for a while outside" he added.

Natsu smiled. "I'll join ya" he agreed. Laxus raised an eyebrow at the pair, however he said nothing.

Once they were both out of sight, the muscular Lightning user turned to the group of Fairy Tailer's who he had been put in charge of by Makarov. "Alright, you heard 'em. If we're not needed, we might as well start heading back. Gramps and the others at the guild are gonna want to know what happened" the burly male said. Minerva nodded at Laxus' instructions.

"Yes, that goes for us too" she added, looking towards the Sabertooth Mages. "Although a few of you can stay behind to help carry Rogue off to the guild" she added after a moment, as an afterthought.

A murmur of agreement ran through the wizards assembled; the fighting with the Zero Star Guild had been hard, but ultimately uncostly, as such, whilst no one was badly injured, they were all very tired. With slow steps the two groups began to file out, making the arduous journey to the nearest town in order to catch their respective trains back home.

The following day, a big party would be held at each of the guilds to celebrate the ending of the debt, and of their victory.

/

Whilst down on the lower grounds the Mages of the two guilds' left the Zollzero lands, in the Inner Garden, the Zollzero children were about to face a big, final battle of their own. One that dwarfed the fight with the twin cousins; however, this time, they were not going to lose.

"So, you've defeated them?" the Patriarch said, sat in his cage, which had survived the battle mostly intact. Arthur narrowed his eyes at his father.

"Well of course we did" he replied. The older man smiled.

"So, the progenies of my brother have finally found their graves. Of course, now I assume you are going to kill me, and take the Patriarchy for yourself?" he said this in an almost challenging manner. Arthur smiled back at his father.

"Well you can't fight back from in _there_ now, can you?" he responded, with his own venomous tone. The Patriarch laughed.

"I taught you well" he replied, before giving his eldest son a scornful look, "However, you obviously have still not learnt how to lie. I know you do not have the stomach for such a task, you've never had blood on your hands before, and I don't believe you could start with me" he snapped. Arthur shrugged his shoulders.

"Perhaps, although…" Arthur opened up a red portal, through which stepped a wounded Edric, bedraggled Medea, and a cold-eyed Thomas. Behind them were dragged both Tenchi and Daichi, both bound in magic-suppressing ropes. "I think you may have misunderstood what I meant by 'defeated'…" Arthur couldn't help the wry smile that played with his lips as the twin cousins sat glaring at both him, and the Patriarch.

For his part, the older Zollzero leader showed nothing less than complete disgust. "You couldn't even bring yourself to kill _them_ , pathetic!" he spat at Arthur. The Territory Mage shook his head at his father.

"It's not pathetic, it's mercy, _dad_ " Arthur glared angrily at his father.

The Patriarch met the gaze with a passive expression. "Mercy is weakness, I've taught you all that when you were each very young" the man replied, before sweeping his gaze across all of the four siblings. He held his anger for a few moments, before sighing. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less… although I do question how all of my children could be such _failures_!" the Patriarch's words took on a solemn undertone.

Arthur smiled at his father. "That is where _you_ have failed, father, not us" he said. This statement earned another scornful expression from the mustachio'd, caged man.

"I do not make mistakes, nor do I fail" he replied, "That is why I am the Patriarch of this great household" Arthur snorted exasperatedly, before gesturing to his siblings.

"So, you claim; however, you still _fail_ to recognise that we are not failures, we are the next generation of Zollzero, and we do not intend to follow you or our ancestors in the dark path they tred" Arthur brought as much passion forth in his words as he could. It left the Patriarch almost dumbstruck, although the older man did manage a small grunt of dissatisfaction. Arthur looked at his father's despairing expression and sighed heavily. "And the biggest irony of all this was that I only began to feel like this _after_ Uncle's death" Arthur added flatly.

The Patriarch went wide-eyed at Arthur's comment. "Your uncle's death?" he muttered.

The two twins also looked to Arthur. "You remember our dad's death?" Tenchi asked in a hushed voice.

Arthur turned to face the two. "Of course, I do" he replied, "Although I admit some of it is a bit of a blur, there is one thing I remember clearly" Arthur paused for a moment, before turning and gesturing to the Patriarch, "The surprise on your face, father, when that lacrima exploded… as well as the expression you wore when I came to your study an hour or so later" Arthur said. The two blond Zollzero men locked eyes with each other for a moment, Arthur's eyes shining with absolute confidence. After a minute or so, the Patriarch snorted and shook his head.

"If that's the case, then you should remember the anger and embarrassment I felt towards that fool brother of mine's attempt at assassination" the Patriarch stated bluntly. Arthur cracked a smile.

"That's not true" he commented, "You never wanted uncle to die… and I clearly remember you saying how much of a shame it was what happened. Although you did take the Patriarchy from him, you still loved our uncle, much as I love Edric, Medea, and Thomas. And just as I would never want any of them to die, you never wanted him to die" Edric, Medea, and Thomas, almost on cue, stepped forward.

"I don't want to see either Thomas, Artie or Medi suffer" Edric stated confidently.

"And I don't want to see any of my dear brothers suffer either. Thomas is so cute, and Edric… well, I've never seen him so happy and cute as when he is with Haruki" Medea chirped up next.

Thomas nodded in agreement. "And I don't want to use my powers to abuse people's memories any more… I just want to be happy with Medea, Edric and Arthur" the Archive user declared.

The Patriarch looked between the three other children with mild disgust, before looking back to Arthur. "Regardless of what you say, I am still the Patriarch and unless you kill me you will not be able to do anything that you want to. Your banishment will still not be lifted" he stated smugly.

"That's where you're wrong" Arthur grinned, before opening up another red shimmering portal. Through the spatial gate another pair came into the scene, Haruki and Kenji. The young Bullet Mage had one of his grandfather's arms over his shoulders as he supported the injured man's weight, whilst Kenji used one of his katanas as a makeshift cane.

"Himura?" the Patriarch looked in confusion. Kenji gave the Patriarch a respectful nod.

"Lord Patriarch" he replied, before looking to Arthur. "Do I need…" Arthur nodded before the old man could finish his sentence; the Territory wizard was already concerned enough with the loyal swordsman health, without making him expend additional energy in unneeded actions. "Right" Kenji confirmed, before looking towards the Patriarch. "With regards to the issue of ascension, in the time after the previous Patriarch's death, I looked into the matter in the event that any conflict should arise between yourself, the then newly-appointed patriarch, and your brother. Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of anyone's direct control, Master Zollzero died" Kenji had to take a momentary pause to catch his breath, "However, with regards to the ascension, you, Lord Patriarch, have been mistaken in one particular thing" Kenji stated.

The Patriarch's brow furrowed in confusion. "What am I mistaken in?" he asked.

Kenji smiled. "It only requires that a Patriarch need be defeated in combat to lose their title. Killing your opponent was never part of the requirements for ascension, that was just assumed" the old sword master gave a slight sweeping gesture to the twin cousins tied up behind Medea, Edric and Thomas. "The moment master's Aaron and Adam-"

"It's Tenchi" Aaron interjected.

"It's Daichi" Adam corrected.

Kenji nodded in understanding. "My apologies" he stated, before correcting himself. "The moment master's Tenchi and Daichi defeated you, Lord _Ex_ -Patriarch, they were technically made the new Patriarchs" Kenji explained.

Tenchi and Daichi looked between each other with surprise upon hearing this news. "We were?" they exclaimed in unison. Arthur turned to them and shot them both a smile.

"Yep, and now… well, with a little help from the guilds, _I_ defeated you, so…" Arthur's smile grew broad. The Patriarch sighed.

"Damn it…" he cursed under his breath. Arthur and his siblings laughed loudly.

"That's right, father, now you've got to obey me, as has the other Zollzero family and Zero Star members. And for my first decree, I will have you locked up for… hmm… how long?" Arthur looked to Edric for this.

The Card Mage grinned. "Let's make it a year, to start with, that way he has plenty of time to think it over" Edric chuckled. Arthur nodded.

"Alright, a year it is" Arthur said, before looking towards his cousins. Tenchi and Daichi both looked at him with anger still clear in their expressions.

"What are ya gonna do with us?" Tenchi spat. Arthur smirked.

"Well, I should have you locked up at least for your defiance of the family, for starters" he replied. Tenchi hung his head.

"I thought as much" he sighed. Arthur smiled brighter.

"However… I think, so long as you swear to obey us, we will allow you to work _with_ us, rather than have you locked up" Arthur stated, in a reasonable tone of voice. Daichi went wide-eyed hearing this.

"Really? You aren't suspicious of us, or worried about us attacking you?" the blond Devil Slayer asked. Arthur smiled.

"Well, if you want to challenge me for the Patriarchy you could, although… I would think you two most of all would understand exactly why I want to change this family as I do. Also, if I want to change things, first and foremost I should lead by my ideals and at least offer you the olive branch, hm?" Arthur's face never faltered in its smile as he said this.

Tenchi looked to Daichi for a moment, the two obviously deciding silently what they were going to do. Although outwardly he appeared confident, inwardly Arthur was holding his breath; everything he had done up until that moment had been for this, now he just needed his cousins to agree.

After the longest few minutes of the Territory Mage's life, the twins both looked up to him, before carefully helping each other stand. Then they bowed. "We will accept your offer, Lord Patriarch" they both said in unison. Arthur laughed, before extending his hands out, and holding the pair's heads up he spoke.

"You don't need to bow, and please… just call me Arthur" he replied. The two nodded in understanding, before they stood proud.

"Alright" Tenchi said, before nodding to his twin. "You can call me Aaron" he added.

"And me Adam" Daichi chimed. Arthur smiled and nodded.

"As you wish" he agreed, "Let's work well together".

In that moment, after all the turbulence of the past, and all the tension of that night, the new Zollzero family was born.

/

 **Magnolia, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Natsu Dragneel**

"Jeez, Natsu, could ya sit still for five minutes" Gray groaned, as he sat opposite me in one of the booths back at the guild hall.

I pouted. "I can't help it, I'm just really excited" I replied, bouncing up and down in my spot at the table.

"Well we all know _why_ ~" Happy grinned from his place on the table in front of me.

Lucy giggled. "Sting's coming, right?" she asked. I couldn't help the smile that twisted my lips upwards when the White Dragon's name was mentioned.

"Yeah, and Natsu's been so excited he barely slept at all last night" Happy chuckled.

"Happy!" I grumbled, prodding the exceed. Happy laughed, before hopping up and flying over nearer to Lucy.

"He even forgot to have breakfast this morning, so he ended up having to buy something before he got to the guild" the cat added. Lucy looked to me with surprise clear on her face.

"Really?!" she exclaimed "I wouldn't have ever believed _anything_ would make Natsu forget about food" she commented. I blushed faintly at the comment, not that I allowed anyone to see.

"Well… it was just…" I trailed off, unable to come up with anything to defend myself with. "Just… shut up…" I said at last, in a tone even _I_ thought sounded a little pathetic.

Gray sat smirking at me from the other side of the table. "If I knew that just saying Sting's name would be enough to get you to be this quiet, I would've used it plenty before now" the Ice Mage stated wryly.

"Is that right, Gray?" Lucy mused, making the dark-haired male furrow his brow.

"What's up?" he replied, taking not of the Celestial Mage's tone.

Lucy chuckled. "Nothing's up, I just find it surprising that Natsu's so excited to see _his_ boyfriend, but you don't seem to be as happy about _yours_ coming over too" Lucy made a knowing face as she looked over toward the Ice Mage.

Gray went wide eyed. "Wait… you know? How?" Gray shot upright in his seat as he stared down the blond. After a moment, he looked to me. I held up my hands defensively, although I was quite enjoying watching my rival squirm.

"It wasn't me" I stated flatly. Gray pouted, before Lucy finally put him out of his misery.

"When I was watching over Rogue and Juvia, Rogue and I had plenty of time to… talk" Lucy smirked. Gray sighed heavily as he found out exactly how Lucy had learned of his supposedly secret relationship.

"So, _he_ told you…" Gray muttered "So much for keeping it to ourselves…" I laughed upon hearing this.

"Looks like _both_ of those Sabertooth Dragon Slayers can't keep their mouths shut" I stated with vague amusement.

Gray looked to me, before he realised what I was referring to. "Oh yeah, Sting blurted about your relationship, didn't he?" Gray smiled slightly. I nodded.

"Yeah, one minute I was facing down our enemies, with our relationship still secret, however the next minute I get knocked out, and when I waked up suddenly everyone's fighting, and our relationship's out in the open" I stated, somewhat jokingly.

Gray smiled slightly broader. "Guess that's _another_ thing they share in common, right?" the Ice Mage mused.

I nodded, "Yeah, and if they were here now, I bet they'd both be arguing that they don't act similar" I responded. Suddenly Happy started laughing, which drew my attention. "What're you laughing about, Happy?" I asked the cat.

Happy just grinned at me, laughing too much to reply, so Lucy decided to explain. "We just noticed that you two _both_ get quiet, and stop arguing, when you're talking about Sting and Rogue" Lucy stated. "It's kinda cute" she added after a moment.

"I'm not cute! I'm a Dragon Slayer!" I barked in response.

Just as I was about to rant about people always calling me 'cute', Erza marched over, armour glinting brightly, obviously just having been newly repaired.

"Gray, Natsu, I need you to come with me" she stated. Gray and I both looked to the swordswoman as she looked down at both of us.

"What's wrong, what do you need us for?" the Ice Mage asked. Erza smiled.

"It appears we are needed to pick up our guests from the train station" the red-head replied, before giving us both slight winks. Gray and I were both up in an instant, ready to leave right that minute. As we walked out, something struck Gray.

"Wait… how did you know that I wanted to come?" Gray asked Erza. The red-head smirked knowingly.

"Well… let's just say a certain bird told me" she replied. Gray thought for a moment, before looking back over his shoulder towards the guild, his eyes locking with Lucy's. The Celestial wizard looked away.

"I'm gonna kill her!" he exclaimed after a moment.

I just laughed. "It's fine, I wouldn't worry as long as Laxus and Gajeel don't find out" I commented.

Gray frowned. "Still…" the Ice Mage couldn't keep his unhappy face for long as we neared the train station hastily. Inside, Sting and Rogue awaited us, sitting with sickly-green faces beside Yukino and Minerva.

"Honestly, you two are useless" the Territory Mage sighed.

Sting didn't seem to have the stomach to respond to his fellow guildmate's comments, at least not until I arrived. The pair of Dragon Slayer's both brightened up rather quickly open seeing us approach, jumping up from their seats.

"Natsu!" Sting rushed up to greet me. I smiled as he hugged me tight.

"Hiya Sting, how are ya?" I replied, meeting my boyfriend for the first time, three days after the battle at the Zollzero Mansion.

/

"Mmph… you sure… we shouldn't g-go to the guild first?" I asked in between hot kisses with my blond boyfriend. Sting smiled, as he reached for the front door of my little out-of-the-way house.

"I'm sure they won't mind us being a little late… besides, Minerva will cover for me, for a little while anyways" Sting replied, in rather heated breaths. "You were just taking me for a little stroll to help me feel better after the train ride, right?" he added with a wry grin.

I chuckled, before kissing a trail along the White Dragon Slayer's jawline, moving further down his neck. Sting let out a little purring noise, as his hands slid up along my exposed muscles. I returned the gesture, my fingertips ghosting over his exposed abs with a hard, yet carefully slow, touch. "Ah… you were so disappointed when Minerva made me go back to Sabertooth right away too, so I guess it's only fair that I get to spend time with you now" Sting added in a breathless tone. I mumbled into the crook of his neck, before placing a few more slow kisses there.

"True" I agreed, before looking up at Sting, letting all my pent-up energy and _want_ show in my eyes. I could feel the blond shiver underneath my touch when I showed him that expression. Then I opened the door to my house fully and grabbed Sting by the hand. "Come on then" I stated in an upbeat tone, "I want to see just what you're gonna do to make up for ditching me for three whole days" Sting laughed wickedly at the statement.

"Just don't expect to be making any long journeys on foot for the next couple of days" he replied. I smirked back at the blond, with a daring gaze.

"We'll see who's gonna be the one who's not able to walk" I commented temptingly.

Sting looked at me with mild surprise, before his face settled into a challenging grin. "Heh… I kinda like this version of you; I leave ya alone for a couple of days and suddenly you're all heated and _sexy_ " he said. I laughed, as I led Sting upstairs, stopping on the landing to turn around and wrap my hands around the blond.

"Well, of course I'd be heated. I _am_ the Fire Dragon Slayer after all" I chuckled. Sting chuckled, back before leaning in to capture my lips. Stopping only a few millimetres from my mouth he decided to make one final comment.

"You're _my_ Fire Dragon Slayer" he corrected me.

/

After our brief kiss at the top of the stairs, Sting wasted no time in getting me to the bed. With one sweeping gesture, the strong male swept my feet out from under me, before proceeding to carry me, princess style, all the way into the bedroom. With a little grin at my surprised expression, Sting then leaned in and I wrapped my arms around him, our lips connecting once more as he then began to walk towards the bedroom door. _I'll let him carry me like this… just this once…_ I thought to myself. Opening the wooden door to the bedroom with his foot, and then kicking it closed behind him, the blond stomped over to the bed, before depositing me unceremoniously on top of the messy covers.

We stopped kissing for just a moment, each of us drinking in the heated, lust-filled expression that shone through the others face. "Sting…" I breathed, in awe of how hot and flustered the White Dragon looked. His chest was rapidly moving up and down, as the exertion of carrying me whilst also kissing me unceasingly, took its toll.

Despite his slightly reddened face, the White Dragon Slayer still shot me one of his usual, cocky smirks. "Hah, looks like I finally managed to _sweep you off your feet,_ Natsu" he said, with a little chuckle. I pouted in mock defiance; even if I _had_ allowed it, my pride as a Dragon Slayer meant I had to rise to any challenge, especially ones from him.

"Only because I felt tired, so I let you" I challenged the blond. Sting laughed, before running a hand through his hair, the beautiful blond locks sticking up at all odd angles.

"Is that right?" he replied, "Well does that mean you're gonna be too tired to resist me, and let me do _other_ stuff I want to, too?" he added cockily, with a voice so dark that it almost sounded like it shouldn't be coming from the oh-so-holy White Dragon Slayer.

Yet it was, and it made me shiver deeply in want.

After hearing the blond's little statement, I found I couldn't resist him anymore, and so I just lay there as he climbed up onto the bed on top of me. Sting kept up his 'hungry dragon' look as he came eye-to-eye with me, his blue orbs meeting my dark ones. "Is that a yes, Natsu?" he asked, maintaining the darkened tone. I smiled up at him.

"Y… es…" I breathed, too intoxicated with need to make any kind of other reply.

Sting smirked victoriously, before leaning in and capturing my lips in a deep, hungry kiss. Our tongues battled heatedly as I raised my hands up, feeling for the now familiar body, a slight jolt of passion shooting through me as I felt the hard muscles beneath Sting's perfect skin once more. "Mmn…" I sighed into the kiss.

Sting pulled away, before grinning brightly at me, his face lit up almost as bright as the magic he wielded in the fight against the twin Demon Slayers. "Natsu" the White Dragon looked me up and down as he carefully regained his breath in little pants. "I really wanna strip you" he added after a moment, his voice brimming with excitement and lust.

I was slightly surprised by the sudden honesty that came from the blond, a sharp contrast to the darkly lewd tone he was using only a moment ago. I couldn't help the smirk that broke out across my face, the spell that had seemingly been put over me breaking the moment Sting stopped using his 'hungry dragon' voice. "So, what's stopping you?" I asked, my own confidence returning rapidly. He looked at me for a moment, before grinning.

"Nothing" he said. I laughed, as Sting leaned in once more. "But just so that we're clear, you're alright with me doing this, right?" he added.

I laughed, before knocking him gently on the side of the head. "Idiot, I've been _alright with you doing_ pretty much anything to me since our first date at the beach, remember?" I gave Sting a slightly inquisitive face.

Sting smirked fondly at the memory of our time at the beach house. "Yeah, I remember" he said, before looking me back up and down once more, his lips hovering so close to mine. "I remember how cute you were the first time we had sex, and how hot and sexy you were every time after that. I also remember… well, I remember everything about you, and of course I remember all the bad stuff too… however…" Sting gave a deep, satisfied sigh. "I remember the only thing that's important" he said quickly, cutting himself off from rambling. I chuckled slightly, already guessing at where he was going with this train of thought.

"That I always love you" I said, finishing his sentence for him, before leaning in, anticipating that a kiss was soon coming. Sting's lips flickered into a smile.

"Yes, and that I, no matter what stupid thing tries to stop me, will always completely and utterly love you too" he added, before closing the little distance that was left between us, and capturing my lips in another, short kiss. Once Sting pulled away he added one last thing. "So, let's fuck now, because to be honest I'm hard, horny, and if I have to wait much longer I'm not gonna be able to control myself any more" he stated honestly. I grinned upon hearing this information, before moving one of my hands from Sting's abdomen, and instead placing it on the hem of his jacket, slowly tugging it back.

"Now that's more like it" I beamed, before smirking lewdly. "And for starters how about we strip _each other_ " Sting didn't even have to process my request before he was agreeing.

/

"Mpnm… Mph… Natsu" Sting groaned, as he heatedly ground his hips against my leg, his hardened cock still clothed. _Not for long…_ I thought deviously to myself.

"St… ing…" I panted, in between kisses. The White Dragon Slayer lifted his lips from mine for a moment. He looked like he was going to ask me something, so I just smiled, raising both of my hands to his vest, before pulling it back. The blond took the hint immediately and shrugged the clothing item down his shoulders, before discarding it. "That better?" he asked with a sly tone. I chuckled, before brushing a hand down his front.

"Well, the view's a bit better now" I commented wryly. Sting smiled smugly, before running his fingers along my abdomen. I was expecting him to remove my shirt as he had done, however, to my surprise, instead the White Dragon Slayer stood up off of the bed. With a puzzled look, I opened my mouth to speak, however this time it was Sting turn to take a little charge.

Standing before the bed, the blond quickly kicked off his boots, before discarding his trousers as well. He then stood there for a minute clad in nothing but his underwear. "How's the view now, Natsu?" Sting chuckled. I laughed alongside him, before eyeing up his member, as it formed quite the tent in his pants.

"That's much better" I responded, as Sting clambered back on top and began kissing me again. With his almost naked body underneath my fingers I felt myself grow even more heated. "Now it's my turn" I whispered into Sting's ear. The blond seemed to shiver a little in pleasure at my words, before his hands roughly grabbed at my waistcoat, pulling it off of me. I allowed Sting to remove the first piece of clothing, however I had a plan in mind for the rest. As the White Dragon grew distracted, kissing along my neck, I shifted my weight. Once I was ready, I then, in one swift movement, flipped the pair of us over in a manoeuvre that would probably have been better suited to fighting rather than fucking. "Woah… Natsu!" Sting shrieked in surprise. "At least gimme some warning if you're gonna do that" he added after a moment. I laughed, before placing a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Come on, it's not like that's the first time I've done that" I stated jovially, before narrowing my eyes at the blond in a more focused, want-filled expression. Sting met my gaze with one dripping with lust, the Dragon Slayer's desperation barely contained behind his bright blue orbs. It probably didn't help that in the new position I had put us in, Sting's member was right under my butt. When I moved, I rubbed against the hardened length, building up more delicious friction. _Damn the faces he makes when I make even a little movement are hot…_ I added mentally, as I kept my eyes on Sting's face. Sting managed to lie there for about a minute before he moved upwards and began kissing me heatedly, his hands stroking my body.

I let him kiss a trail over my chest, before I pushed him back down, my upper body bending over, as I moved down with him so that I could kiss all along the blond's neck, chest and abdomen. As my lips reached Sting's belly button, I changed direction and began moving back up the restless, horny Dragon Slayer. Moving upwards again, Sting began running his hands over my back, before his fingers slipped into the small space between my belted trousers and my underwear. "Mmm…" Sting hummed in pleasure as I kissed up along his neck, jaw, and then finally, his lips. As we kissed, I felt Sting's hands move from my back, to my front, the blond's fingers clumsily playing with my belt in a poor attempt to undo it. I chuckled slightly at his efforts, before I guided his fingers and helped him loosen it. Once my trousers were slack, I kicked them off, grinning at the blond. Sting smirked back.

"What is it?" he asked, his face only a couple inches from my own.

"Nothing" I replied coyly, "I was just thinking what your face'll look like when I do _this_ ". At that I ground down on Sting's member with my butt. Sting almost reared up, a loud moan, a noise that was a pleasant mix of both surprise and pleasure, exploding from his throat. "Whoa-ah.. ah… Natsu!" he breathed suddenly. I smirked wickedly, as our eyes met.

"So that's what it looks like" I beamed. Sting smirked.

"It's not like you've not seen me like that before" he said, with a faint redness on his cheeks; it was only barely visible since the White Dragon Slayer was already flushed pink all over.

"Yeah but… just…" I didn't finish my sentence as Sting sat up and kissed me.

"I know" he said. "Now, I think it's my turn" he added with his own wicked grin. I didn't have to see the blond's face, or the glint in his eyes, to know what his intention was. With a lot more care than I had, Sting pushed at my shoulder, before sliding out on top of me, with my legs straddled between his pelvis. I smiled up contently at the blond. "No more stops" I said. Sting nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, no more stopping" he confirmed, before giving a little, playful grind to my clothed member. "And no more clothes" he added after a moment. I shot Sting a smirk, before sliding my fingers into each side of the other Dragon Slayer's underwear. Sting took the hint, and took hold of mine, then we each began sliding the other's off.

Almost as soon as we were both naked, Sting began eyeing me up, with his most predatory look. I knew what he was thinking, I was thinking the same; _He's mine…_

"It's been too long since I saw you naked, Natsu" Sting stated. I laughed.

"It's only been about a week" I replied, however Sting pouted. Before he could make any kind of complaint, I continued speaking. "However, you're right, it's been too damn long since we did this. So, now that I _am_ naked…" I trailed off as I suggestively smiled up at the White Dragon Slayer. Sting chuckled, before looking about the room.

"Is it still-"

"Top drawer" I answered, before he could even ask. Sting smiled, getting off my bed for only the briefest moment to go over to the aforementioned drawer in my dresser, and recovering the lube I kept stashed there. Returning to his position on the bed, the White Dragon held the bottle in his hand. "Now…" Sting began kissing me as he flipped off the lid and got some of the slick substance into his hand.

Before he could continue with anything, though, I interrupted once more. "Just put it on, then put _it_ in. I can't wait much longer, as good as that feels, I just _really_ want to get to the best bit" I said needily. Sting smiled, before giving a little mock bow of his head in acceptance.

"Whatever my princess wants" he chuckled to himself, before silencing my pouted retort with a kiss. The White Dragon then smeared the substance over his cock, before adding some to my hole.

"Ah..." I breathed as I felt it touch my skin. _Maybe I should've at least got him to heat it up in his hand first…_ I thought to myself, as Sting lined himself up with my hole.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, now… come on and fuck me already!" I responded in a single breath. The White Dragon Slayer nodded one last time, before he began to slowly slide his length inside me.

It didn't take him long to get it all in, and as he stopped, he looked to me. I smiled back at him. "It's fine, it's nothing new" I stated, before holding my hand so that it was outstretched. Sting took the hand and clasped it, fingers intertwined.

"You sure?" he asked me. I chuckled, before nodding.

"Yeah, once you get moving it gets much _better_ anyways. Besides… it's not the _first_ time I've done it like this" I stated lowly, before sending the White Dragon a wry grin, "Remember our little bit of fun at the guild?" I added humorously. Sting smiled before moving my legs into a more comfortable position around him. He then outstretched his free hand, which I clasped also.

"Alright then" the blond grinned, before slowly pulling out. With one last longing look, Sting thrust in, giving out a small moan as he did so. I moaned back, as the delicious feeling of pain and pleasure shot up my spine.

 _Ah… it really has been… too long…_ I thought to myself, as the pain from the initial entry slowly gave way to pleasure. With each passing second, Sting gave more and more attention to his thrusts, moving in and out with such delicious speed I couldn't help but make lewd noises. The White Dragon Slayer grinned as I looked up at him, before angling his movements with a bit more accuracy, until I felt the best, most intense feeling, shooting up my spine.

"Hah… yeah!" I breathed, "F-fuck… more… there St-ing" I panted hungrily, as I pulled the blond in for a heated kiss. As our tongues battled it out, I felt the other Dragon Slayer's hand reached down for my hard cock. At first, Sting made only slow movements, out of sync with his thrusts. "Mpmn… Mnph… Sting" I sighed, before reaching down and began directing his hand movements. The White Dragon Slayer chuckled for a moment, before speeding up.

"You really want this to be over that fast?" he asked, rhetorically, "Because I… haaa… wish I could feel like this… f-forever" he added a little heatedly. I smirked back at the breathless Dragon Slayer.

"Your j-just… as close… as m-me!" I exclaimed, before another, much stronger wave of pleasure over took my body, silencing any other comments I could've hoped to make. Sting breathed deeply, as he thrust hard a few more times, each time landing in that same, delicious place.

"D-damn r… right I'm close… you're so fuck-fucking hot… ah… so tight…" As Sting continued to speak, his voice became more and more incoherent, until he was basically just babbling random, sexy-sounding words at me. I didn't mind, of course, since by that point I was already lost in the sea of sensations myself.

After one last, particularly rough thrust, I moaned loudly. "Hah! S-Sting! Coming…" I cried out, in between raspy gasps of pleasure. The White Dragon didn't even stop moving for a second, as his eyes locked with mine. The cerulean orbs were completely overtaken with want, desire, and (perhaps most of all) lust. "I'm… hah… ah… fuck… Coming t-too" he replied in between two breaths. I smiled up at the blond for a second, just before I climaxed, my voice raising to a new volume that _definitely_ made me happy I lived so far away from other people.

"Sting!" I panted, as my vision went white, pure ecstasy shooting all around my body, as my own cum covered both mine and Sting's chests.

Sting wasn't far behind, moaning with wild abandon, the blond leaned down and captured my lips in a hungry, pre-climax kiss, before the feelings of my climax, and his movements, pushed him well and truly over the edge. As his semen filled my ass, the White Dragon called out my name in the truly hottest way possible, then he collapsed on top of me.

Neither of us said anything for a couple of minutes, as we each were lost in our own minds and bodies. "Well… I don't think…" Sting tried to form a coherent sentence, however this attempt only lead to failure.

I beamed up at the blond, stroking a hand through his hair, before I kissed him gently. "That was the best fuck we've had" I said, happily.

Sting nodded in agreement. "Yeah" he agreed, as he flopped down beside me, his eyes casting a glance over my naked, now cum-covered, body. "It's been a while since we both got _that_ heated… and loud" he grinned. I chuckled, before wrapping an arm around his body and pulling him close.

"I think being loud is sexy" I said cheerily, before brushing my fingers up the White Dragon's back. Sting shivered slightly at the action, before pulling me in even closer, close enough that our chests were pressed against each other.

We kissed for a moment, before Sting pulled away, his eyes intently fixated on my face. Looking close into that sea of blue, I felt that I could see every thought the blond was having, see every twinkle and spark of light behind those eyes. Likewise, I guess Sting felt the same, as he started smiling brightly, although there was something else in his expression too. "What's up?" I asked him enthusiastically, hoping he was thinking about something funny. Sting shrugged.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to be dating such a hot Dragon Slayer. I mean, you make an excellent blanket, all warm like you are" he commented wryly, before looking over my shoulder. "However, and I'm not saying I _don't_ like you hugging me like this, but… can we shift over that way a bit?" he added after a moment. I nudged the blonde's side.

"Is that your way of saying you're cold and you wanna be under the covers?" I asked him. He smiled a little more sheepishly.

"Just a little bit… you kinda forget the temperature when you're getting… well… _heated_ " he laughed. I sighed, before shuffling along and grabbing the covers so that we could shift underneath.

"Better?" I asked after we settled back down.

Sting nodded, with a cute little smile. "Yeah" he replied, "It's better".

/

After repositioning, I went back to hugging Sting close, with my head resting on his shoulder. We lay there in a contented silence for what felt like a long time, but, in reality, was probably only five minutes. Looking back over to Sting during this time, I noticed something cloud the Dragon Slayer's happy, satisfied gaze. Sting seemed to notice my glances, as he turned his head towards me.

"Something up Natsu?" he asked. I shook my head softly, before putting on my own inquisitive expression.

"Not with me… just… what are you thinking about?" I responded to the blonde's question with my own enquiry. Sting seemed to think about his response for a minute or two, before he put on a straight face.

"I was just thinking that… well… we're gonna have to go to the guild soon, and as good as that fuck was, I want to do so much more with you than just have sex" Sting said, his voice brimming with honesty. I furrowed my brow at this revelation.

"But we do more than sex anyways, like… you and me always go on dates and stuff" I stated, with a rather confused tone. _Where is he going with this? Does he want us to go on_ more _dates? I mean… I don't mind, but he's the one who always goes on about how much work he's got, or how much money it costs…_

Sting seemed to consider what he was saying for another moment, before finally replying. "I think… I want to tell everyone" he said at last. I went wide eyed.

"You do?" I responded. Sting furrowed his brow.

"It's just… ever since I told Yukino and Minerva they've been really helpful around the guild, they've even been discretely trying to get info about our relationship outta me…" Sting paused for a moment to observe my reaction. I smiled at him.

"Lucy, Happy, and Erza, have all been like that with me. I don't mind answering some of their questions, however… some I refuse to tell 'em" I stated in what I hoped was a helpful manner. Sting nodded in understanding.

"So, it's not just me then" he commented, before looking away from me, and instead sending his gaze over the room. "After seeing their responses… it kinda makes me want to tell everyone. At least that way I can be with you out in the open, and then I can get to spend more time with you. We might need to keep this info from the public for the moment. No telling how people'll react if they hear about a Guildmaster being in a relationship with another guy" Sting elaborated on this thoughts for a moment. I let this information settle, before I gave my response.

"Let's tell everyone later, whilst they're at the guild" I said at last. Sting looked to me.

"Today?" he asked me, with a little unsureness to his voice. I nodded.

"Yeah... if you're okay to do that. I mean, will there be any other time that _both_ of our guilds'll be together like this, plus… that way we can be there to support each other" I stated. Sting was a moment in replying to this, however when he did, it made my heart flutter with excitement.

"Okay, you're right. Let's do it!" he beamed confidently. I smiled back, rubbing supportive circles into Sting's back.

A little while later, we showered together, avoiding touching anywhere _too_ intimate in the process (after all, we didn't want to be overly late to the guild) and then we left, hand in hand, to head towards the guild for the most important meeting that day.

/

 **Magnolia, Autumn Time**

 **Year X792**

 **Sting Eucliffe**

We walked up to the guild at a rather slow pace. After our little bit of fun, Natsu and I decided that we didn't want to appear too late at the guild, mostly because we each feared what Minerva (in my case) and Erza (in his) would do to us if we did.

"Geez, where have you two been? It's been hours since the others arrived" Lucy commented almost immediately upon our arrival. Apparently, she, and a few others from the guild, had been tasked by Erza in locating us. Happy, who was flying next to the blond, chuckled to himself, sending us both knowing looks.

"I can guess…" he smirked. Natsu swatted at the flying feline, a pout on his face.

"Don't you dare, Happy" he growled.

"Hey Sting!" Lector's voice rang out, as my own exceed partner flew over to us. "I thought you said you weren't gonna take long?" Lector joined Happy in the air.

I smiled sheepishly at my little buddy. "Sorry pal, we… got distracted" I tried to avoid saying exactly _what_ we were doing as much as possible around anyone, especially Lector and Frosch. The exceed grinned, as Happy nudged him. The two then exchanged a quick whispered note, before Lector began laughing. He and Happy then both turned away from us. "We're gonna go and tell Erza you're back" the blue cat stated. Lector nodded.

"Yep, and you need to go and find Master Makarov" the red cat added. Natsu and I both looked at the exceeds as they left, before looking to each other.

"Well… that was… weird" Natsu mumbled. I nodded.

"Yeah, kinda worrying how well they're getting on. Plus, I want to know what they were whispering about" I commented. Lucy sighed, before moving behind us, her hands firmly placing themselves on our shoulders.

"Never mind that now, Lector's right. Sting, you need to go find the Master, and Natsu… you can come with me" she stated sharply. Natsu and I both gave muttered complaints; however, we couldn't argue with the blond Celestial Spirit Mage, since she was right. Annoyingly.

"Alright. Natsu… I'll see you later" I said. Natsu nodded to me, giving a slight smile.

"For the thing?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yes, for the thing" I replied, cryptically. Lucy gave me one final push before I began walking off towards, where I knew Makarov's office was, and to where I needed to confirm one thing, before the guild-wide discussion could begin.

/

After meeting with Makarov, Minerva, Edric, and Arthur, who were all in the office, a few things were mutually discussed between our parties, before the main event began. In the very centre of the Fairy Tail guild building, the normally bar-like, table-filled room was converted into a make-shift stage, with many seats all lined facing towards an empty space right in front of where the bar was situated. This all seemed rather formal and official for my tastes, however as it was for the final official discussion between the Zollzero Family and our two guilds, it seemed appropriate.

Makarov and myself stood to one side, down a corridor, ready for our stupid 'entrance', whilst Edric, Arthur, Medea and Thomas all stood at another corridor entrance on the opposite side. As everyone in the guild settled down, and a rather tense quiet settled over those assembled, both of our groups entered at the same time, meeting in the middle of the area so that we were face-to-face. Arthur had already explained how this all 'had to be done' earlier, so I knew that all I really needed to do was stand there, however it still made me more than a little uncomfortable. For more than one reason.

"Right" Arthur mumbled under his breath, before taking a step forward and extending his hand in a hand-shake gesture. "Fairy Tail, Sabertooth. By my right as the new Zollzero Patriarch, I wish to convey three gestures upon your guilds, do you accept this?" Makarov and I both nodded, as we had been instructed to.

"We do" we both said, somewhat mechanically.

Arthur smiled, "Good" he stated. "Firstly, we the Zollzero wish to formally and completely apologise for getting you both involved in our petty internal squabble. This has caused great pain to fall upon your guilds, more so by our actions than by any action you have taken" Arthur paused for a moment to allow his words to pass over the crowd. After a minute or so he continued. "Secondly, we intend to fully compensate you for your efforts and assistance in these matters. To that end we offer you the full sum of your incorrectly attributed debt to our family" this comment earned a number of murmurs from within the crowd; a mixed response of positive mumbles, and more sceptical grumbles from people who believed we shouldn't have been forced to pay in the first place. "Finally," Arthur brought the crowd back to silence with one word, an expertly done manoeuvre considering the characters of those he was speaking to. "For your services, we also wish to extend to each of your guilds friendship, such that a favour may be incurred from us, either personally, or through our allies and associates. May you use this however, and whenever, you wish" Arthur smiled at us both as he said this. "Both me and my siblings have much to thank you for, all of you. In order to repay the kindness that you showed us, we hope that we may be able to change our family's ways and help to bring both peace and happiness to Fiore" he added this bit at the end. Makarov smirked approvingly at the young leader.

"I'll just be happy that things can finally return to normal" the old man chuckled. I smiled too.

"Yeah" I agreed verbally. Arthur chuckled, before gesturing towards his siblings. The other three Zollzero's stepped forward, each extending their hands.

"Then by the shaking of our hands may we seal these terms, and by the eyes upon us now, may we live up to them. For the honour of the name Zollzero" Arthur declared.

"By the honour of our family's name" his siblings echoed. Makarov and I then each proceeded to shake everyone's hands. At the end of the affair, Makarov and I both nodded at the four.

"By the honour of our guild's do we accept your offer" we each said, once again as instructed. With that final act, the debt was wiped, and at long last could our guilds go about their normal, albeit rather weird, lives.

At the end, Arthur and Makarov turned to the crowd. "Now, as thanks for everything, let's party!" Arthur laughed aloud, however before this could be echoed by those present Makarov held up his hand.

"Yes, everyone certainly deserves to enjoy themselves after everything that has happened, however… first, Sting, do you wish to make an announcement?" Makarov looked over to me as he said this, the planned moment coming. Even though I had asked for this, I still felt rather nervous. I noticed Arthur looked to me questioningly, whilst Edric stood grinning, with his eyebrows furrowed in question.

 _This is it…_ I thought.

"Well um… Natsu… do you want to… come up here?" I asked, with a little uncertainty in my voice. Natsu, who I couldn't really see properly until he stood up, quickly jumped up, and dashed the distance from the back of the seated area, all the way to the front, where he stood next to me.

"Yeah Sting?" he asked; he already knew what was coming, however he still decided to act like he didn't.

"Well… Natsu…" I looked out over the two guilds assembled before me, my eyes scanning over all the familiar faces in amongst the crowd. _There's no group of people I'd trust more_ I thought, willing myself to say what I wanted. "To all of you here I just wanted to say, that Natsu and I are… well… um…" no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the words out. That was when I felt a hand brush up against my own. I almost leapt at the sudden sensation, before I realised it was the pink-haired male beside me, who stood quietly chuckling at my reaction, before leaning in. Then he kissed me.

/

Natsu's kiss was only fleeting, but it had the effect it needed, both on me, and on those assembled; The room couldn't have gotten more silent if it tried. "Sting and me are dating!" Natsu called out openly, before shooting me a reassuring smile. I smiled back.

"Yeah, we are" I confirmed, before looking around once more. "I thought I should just announce this now, with all of you here, since this may affect our guilds a little, what with me being a master and everything" as I spoke more and more, I felt my confidence grow. _If I can't tell those here, then who can I tell…_ I reasoned internally.

Despite my continued speech, no one dared make a voiced comment; at least not a for a few moments anyways.

The first person to speak up was, quite surprisingly, Laxus Dreyar. "So that's all you wanted to say?" the Lightning Dragon Slayer said aloud, earning a few looks from those in the crowd. I looked over to him with a completely dumbstruck expression. The tall, muscular blond stood up from his seat at the side of the room and smirked. "It's not like we're complete idiots, most of us here began to notice how you two acted a while ago, at least those of us at Fairy Tail did. I can't speak for Sabertooth" Laxus glanced over to the Sabertooth wizards as if to see if anyone had also noticed.

Rufus and a few of the others all sat smiling. "Yeah we did too" Olga agreed. The Lightning God Slayer laughed loudly. "You two weren't exactly that discrete at our guild either" he added amusedly.

At the two Lightning-user's comments more and more wizards began saying about how they 'noticed things' between Natsu and I. Makarov smiled at us both as the increasing number of comments grew louder in the hall.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less" he stated, "Even after you told me what you intended, I knew it would go well. Also, whilst I admit this may be a little problematic in the future, I will try to support you two as much as I can" he added with a happy smirk. I smiled back at the little man.

"Thank you, Master… er… Thank you, Makarov" I replied, before looking out over the group assembled. "However, for those here, I would like to say," I increased the volume of my voice so that I could be heard over the raucous bunch, a trick I had learned quite early on in my time as Guildmaster, "That whilst this doesn't seem to have come as much of a surprise to you all as I thought it might, this may affect our guild's still, like I said. Some clients may not be as supportive as you all are, so it may be better if this is kept quiet for now" I spoke with a level tone of voice, although inside all I wanted to do was scream and thank everyone for how they just acted.

My statement, whilst true, did earn a few looks and grunts of disapproval. "Don't worry, if anyone shows up to complain, we won't let 'em" Orga stated, earning a few nods of concurrence from those around him.

"Same here" Maccao shout from within the Fairy Tail group, also earning nods of sympathy from those in Natsu's guild.

"We won't let them do anything to stop you two" Erza stated.

"And neither will we. Besides, having a lovey-dovey couple of Dragon Slayers might be a good selling point for the guild, somewhere in the future" Minerva commented, from her front row seat. A few of the wizards snickered at the Territory wizard's words. Even from my position on the podium I could hear the giggled 'is it love birds, or love dragons?' comment circulate around the room. Suddenly, as I was slightly starting to regret telling everyone, I felt a tap at my shoulder, as Edric and Arthur stood nearby.

"So, you two decided to go all out when you… well… came out?" Edric chuckled amusedly.

Arthur rolled his eyes at his brother, before grinning at us. "Ignoring my brother's comments, you don't have to worry about us telling anyone. We Zollzero are rather good at keeping things… quiet" Arthur winked. I nodded.

"Thanks guys" I replied, before looking to Natsu.

The pinkette was brimming with happiness and excitement; he could barely keep still.

Looking at Natsu's shining face I knew I had done right by him telling everyone today, however one thing still remained. So, without further ado, I turned to the crowd with a bright smile. "Now, my little personal matter aside… Let's Party!" I roared.

Everyone cheered at that.

After that the evening really got underway, with food, drink, and cheer, in overflowing amounts. Arthur gave quite the spectacle, using his portals to shoot brightly coloured beams of light around in some make-shift, indoors firework show. Edric and Medea both had fun tricking people, by using their Transformation Magic. Even Thomas had at least a little, fun, although after a while I noticed him slink off to somewhere quieter.

Natsu and I enjoyed everything as much as we could, then after a few hours, we snuck off into the night, to enjoy our own party once again.

/

Natsu and I strolled away from the guild, back towards the pinkette's house on the outskirts of town. "Hey Sting…" he said, a little tipsy from drinking too much, "I love you".

I smiled at the pinkette and patted his arm, before wrapping my own arm around his waist. I placed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, I know, dumb Dragon. I love you too" I replied.

Natsu chuckled. "If you did that to me earlier when everyone was in front of you, you coulda saved a whole lot of time, y'know" the pinkette smiled. I laughed.

"Yeah, I know" I parroted myself. Natsu rested his head on my shoulder as we walked on, heading down one of the darker paths out of town, completely unafraid of anything (not that anything could really pose us much of a threat anyways). The Fire Dragon Slayer sighed contently.

"I hope this means I get to spend more time with you" he said quietly, in a voice only I could hear. I smiled and kissed the pinkette on the cheek again.

"Me too… although, I think it might be easier for you to come to me and not the other way around" I stated. Natsu nodded.

"That's true… hey, how about I try to make a deal with gramps so that he'll let me take all of the jobs that are near Sabertooth, that way I can work _and_ see you at the same time" Natsu's eyes practically glowed as he came up with this idea. I chuckled.

"Makarov said that he'd support us, however I think that might be taking a bit too much of an advantage of that offer" I reasoned. Natsu sighed.

"Nah, he'll let me. I am the guild's main Dragon Slayer after all" he mused. I raised an eyebrow.

"Somehow, I think Wendy and Gajeel, not to mention Laxus, might have something to say about that" I replied amusedly. Natsu pouted, before raising a hand up in front of himself, flames engulfing it.

"I'll take 'em all on" he stated with complete confidence. With a smile I held up my own hand, white light shining forth.

"I know you will… and if it comes to it, I'll help you" I laughed. Natsu smiled up at me, before unravelling my arm from around his waist, and taking an extra step forward so that he was in front of me. I was a little surprised he'd do that, however once I saw the bright smile on his face, as well as the mischievous glint in his eye, I knew exactly what the Fire Dragon Slayer was thinking. "Of course, you will, because you're my boyfriend" Natsu said. I nodded, however before I could speak, the pinkette turned his back to me and continued. "You'll always help me… you'll always be there for me, and of course I know you'll always love me; however, the question is, do you think you can _beat_ me Sting?" he asked. I furrowed my brow, a little confused by the pinkette's ramblings. _Maybe I should've checked how much he was drinking…_

"Beat you in wha-" I was cut off as Natsu began jogging forward.

"In a race. First one to get to my house gets call the shots tonight!" Natsu finished what he was saying, then immediately turned and began sprinting off at high speed. My brain barely had time to register what the pinkette said, before I began following him at full speed.

"Natsu's wait… this isn't fair!" I called out, hopelessly. Natsu just ran on ahead, laughter filling out the night air beneath me as he expertly moved over the familiar terrain towards his house. I tried to keep up as best I could, my competitive spirit driving me to at least attempt to win. "Damn… stupid…" I muttered under my breath. Even with the drink, Natsu was still able to progress up the path with ease.

"Ha, I win" he cheered, as I caught up to him, right outside his house.

"That… wasn't…" I couldn't even be bothered to argue as I ran right up to Natsu and kissed him. "Alright, I'll let you 'win' just this once. You did kinda save me earlier" I stated. Natsu beamed, before taking my hand.

"Well then… let's go upstairs" he said, in a subtly lewd tone. "Then I get to do what I want… with my _boyfriend_ " Natsu said the word in such a sweet way that I couldn't resist.

"Boyfriend…" I muttered in tandem.

The word sounded so perfect, however nothing was, or could ever be, as perfect as the one person I loved more than anyone else.

"Nastu…" I breathed.

 _Today couldn't have gone any better…_ I cheered inside my own head, as Natsu and I kissed on the pinkette's bed.

"Hey… Natsu…" I stopped in between kisses. Natsu pouted.

"What?" he asked, a little annoyed that I had stopped.

"I just remembered something that Edric said before, at the party" I answered. Natsu smirked.

"So, you're thinking about Edric when we're making out?" the Fire Dragon Slayer sounded so cocky when he said that, his mock-offended tone barely even sounded believable.

I smirked back. "Just shut up and let me tell you what he said" I stated in an unamused voice, earning a little laugh from the pinkette, "He said that he heard a phrase recently and thought that it was perfect to sum up our relationship; A true lover always feels in debt to the one he loves. Kind of ironic, right, especially since, without that stupid debt, we probably wouldn't have gotten to be able to… you know… _get to know each other_ " I winked slyly as I emphasised this last bit. Natsu pouted in thought for a moment, before grinning.

"I guess so" he reasoned, before leaning in. "However, if you wanna talk about debts, I'm still feeling like you owe me for my help back at the guild, so how about you… pay up" now it was Natsu's turn to wink slyly.

I smiled, before leaning in and kissing Natsu. "Now there's one debt I'm _happy_ to pay for" I replied.

As Natsu and I got physical, that phrase stuck with me;

 _The debt I owe Natsu isn't ever gonna be repaid. For every day he loves me, I've got to pay him back with double. And for every day I love him, he's also gotta pay me back too…_

 _Love's an eternal debt, however both sides should always be happy to pay…_

"I love you, Natsu" I whispered quietly.

"I love you too, Sting" he replied.

 **Fin**

 **Author's last note; I got a couple of requests for stuff to put into this last chapter, both fluff and smut wise, so I hope those who PM'd me (you know who you are) are happy with what I added. I wasn't able to add everything; however, I do try to make it so that as many people are happy with my work as possible.**

 **I also would like to thank everyone who made it this far, following the amateurish fic and I hope to see you at some point in the future with another fic. For now though, thanks and good bye (^.^)/**


End file.
